Guardian of Paradise
by YumeMori
Summary: It's been three years since Kagome's been back to her era. The towns are ruin cities. The Book of the Moon has been stolen. Paradise has never looked more inviting to a pack of determined wolves and it couldn't be more out of reach.
1. Prologue

**Disclaimer:** I claim no ownership of _Sengoku Otogizoushi - InuYasha_ nor _Wolf's Rain_. _Inuyasha_ belongs to Takahashi Rumiko, Shogakukan, Viz Media, ShoPro Entertainment, and Shounen; while _Wolf's Rain_ belongs to Nobumoto Keiko. No profit of any kind is made from this fan-created crossover.**  
**

* * *

**Authors:**_** Kurai Mori and Ame-Yume  
**_**_Prologue; The Family of the Book of the Moon_**

* * *

Kagome's last trip home came right before the final battle in the past. Everyone could tell it had finally come down to one last stand between their group and Naraku's, given that he held the newly reformed Shikon no Tama. And the world held its breath waiting for the worst to happen. Kagome was lucky to receive one month to herself. It seemed both too long and too short a time.

She had only been back for two days when her grandfather cornered her in her room. In his old, shaking hands was a simple book covered in a cloth.

"Here, Kagome," he said as he held it out to her.

She ran her archery worn hands over its cover, brushing aside the cloth to open it. She read from the first page, "The Book of the Moon?" Closing it sharply she could remember her grandfather telling her about it years ago when she was younger and had no time for his legends or stories. "Isn't that just a legend?"

"No, Kagome," he said. She was thoroughly confused by how serious he was acting, normally he was so eccentric she could not be bothered to humor him for long. "You should know better than anyone how legends have a basis in reality. That book is real and everything in it is as well."

After only a second's hesitance, she opened the book again. This time she leafed through the pages and illustrations of wolves and flowers and paradise. She remembered her father and a time so long ago she had brushed it off as a childish dream. It did not seem so childish or imaginative anymore. "Why?" she asked, her voice soft.

"I know you might not return from the past when you leave again. This book is probably best guarded back then, and its your turn now. So many would use this book to harm the balance of life and of paradise."

"Why couldn't this have fallen to Souta? He's desperate for an adventure."

His eyes took on a faraway gleam before he got up to leave. "Because there's not much time."

Kagome pushed aside her school books and late work when her grandfather left. It would figure that he would leave after such a cryptic message and conversation, but that was her grandfather. With a heavy sigh she placed down the book and started from the beginning of it. It was going to be a long month spent figuring out the secrets of the book.

Until a week later, when Kagome found herself with another burden that she knew she should not have taken on given that she only had a month left in her time. Yet she liked to think herself optimistic about how the final battle would go.

A gunshot woke her late one night a week after she had returned. She bolted up and nearly out of her bed, ready to both head toward the origin of the sound and stay away from it. She bit her lip in indecision until she heard a dog bark. Against her better judgment, she grabbed her bow and quiver of arrows and headed outside.

She followed the noise to the area behind her home, back behind a small grove of trees that marked the end of her family's property. A man, looking very much like a hunter, stood facing away from her with his gun pointed at something ahead of him. To his side stood a large black dog. She fingered her bow as she weighed the options and reasons, until she saw what the man was trying to kill. A young wolf.

Since her grandfather had passed the Book of the Moon onto her along with the duty that came with it, along with her own morals, she could not leave the wolf to die. She drew her bow and fitted it with an arrow. The creaking of wood caught the dog's ears, which then turned to growl at her.

The man looked over at her. "Who the hell do you think you are?"

She pulled back the arrow even more. "I could ask you the same question. You're on my family's property, and if you shot that wolf, I'll be forced to kill you."

The dog tensed and looked as if it was going to jump at her. In reflex, Kagome changed where she was pointing her arrow at and let it fly. The dog managed to jump back in the nick of time, but it caught the hunter's full attention. She swallowed hard as she really hadn't meant to do that. "See? Get off my family's property and leave the wolf."

He lowered his gun and gave her one of the nastiest glares she had ever seen. "Just you wait, woman. This ain't over with."

Kagome lowered her bow when she could not see them anymore. With loud steps, she walked over to the wolf and sat down next to the unconscious canine. Her altruistic nature was going to cause her death, she was sure of it. Though at the moment, it had given her a young wolf who was quite injured.

For the rest of her one month, she nursed the wolf back to health. She told him stories about Paradise and her own travels whenever he asked why she had to leave. He told her his name, Toboe, and about the old woman who used to take care of him. Yet she loved him even when he told her how the old woman died.

When she left, it was with promises of meeting again when her journey was done. They promised to find each other again, and when Toboe asked her how, she filled his bangles with her hama no reiryoku so she would be able to tell where he was and find him. She told him that she would look for him the moment she returned and he promised to wait for her.

Yet in the three years that passed, far too much happened. Two years after Kagome left, her family was murdered by Nobles and they stole the Book of the Moon that she had forgotten. Kagome did not know as she stayed in the feudal era for three years even though Naraku had been defeated for almost as long. Though that victory came with consequences as Naraku was not the only one to die in that battle. With only Rin and a jewel left, Kagome returned to her own time. Both of them, and the Shikon no Tama.

The young wolf ended up joining another pack around the same time. A pack looking for Paradise. For some unknown reason, Toboe forgot all about Paradise and Kagome. Perhaps it was because of all the traveling he did, and perhaps it was because of the lack of food around Japan. However, he still kept the bangles filled with her hama no reiryoku.

And with those three pieces of jewelry, they would meet again.


	2. Wolves That Know Nothing

**Disclaimer:** I claim no ownership of _Sengoku Otogizoushi - InuYasha_ nor _Wolf's Rain_. _Inuyasha_ belongs to Takahashi Rumiko, Shogakukan, Viz Media, ShoPro Entertainment, and Shounen; while _Wolf's Rain_ belongs to Nobumoto Keiko. No profit of any kind is made from this fan-created crossover.**  
**

* * *

**Authors:**_** Kurai Mori and Ame-Yume  
**_**_Wolves That Know Nothing  
_**

* * *

The streets of Tokyo were not as crowded as normal during the snowy night. Those who were not at home were all ready in karaoke bars or grabbing a bite to eat at a restaurant. Everyone seemed to blend in with each other and with the drab grey landscapes, so it was easy for four wolves in human clothing to pass through the crowd unnoticed. Their only difference from the humans around them was their lack of money. Times were hard and getting harder with each passing day, so no one could be bothered to give them a bit of charity: some food or a warm place to stay the night. Though they were wolves, the nights were getting colder and they could feel it as well. Even other wolves in hiding refused to give them anything as those four were seeking Paradise. And they knew that wolves who sought out Paradise were not the kind they wanted in their house; they were dreamers or deranged, for only those two groups could still believe in hope.

They tried their hardest to keep their eyes and nose to the road instead of to the side at various food vendors. It would only make their hunger grow. Hige's stomach growled, and all of them turned to look at him. They did not need to be reminded of their own hunger. "Hey! It's not my fault we haven't had any food," Hige protested, his hands held out in front of him as his collar clinked from the movement.

"Then find some way to stay silent, or you won't have a stomach." Tsume growled. He leaned away, in a sort of akimbo pose, one that caused his leather clothes to creak and the scar on his chest to be shown more prominently.

"It's not his fault we don't have any money, Tsume." Toboe stood in-between them, knowing he held some sway over the eldest wolf's actions. It did not stop the two wolves from glaring at each other, though. He knew if someone did not step in, there would be a fight as there almost always was between the ever-serious Tsume and the lackadaisical Hige. That was until Hige paused, his nose twitching as he sniffed the air.

"Do you guys smell that?"

"It's a female wolf," Kiba said. His piercing blue eyes were focused further down the street at a young-looking girl. It explained why he did not bother with reprimanding Tsume and Hige as he often did.

She had long brown hair tied back into a ponytail that swayed every time she laughed and moved as she conversed with a food vendor. She looked every bit the part of a modern human woman that they almost believed she was, yet their noses told a very different story. As they approached closer, in a hopeful attempt of receiving some food or shelter, they could hear her conversation.

"Please give Kagome-sama my deepest sympathies for her losses." The old woman vendor handed over her purchases with hands bent from arthritis.

The young wolf's voice was light and bubbly, almost like a little girl's, as she responded, "I'll be sure to. And remember to take the medicine she gave you!"

They watched as she left, heading further down the street away from them as they debated whether to follow her or not. Normally, other wolves would have noticed them by now and growled in warning or looked at them in confusion. She had done neither, as if she did not know they were there. Wolves, no matter how young, always seemed to know when another of their kind was nearby. She was oblivious. Toboe made the decision for them when he ran off toward her.

"Wait!" He held out a hand as he ran.

"Toboe!" Tsume called, running after him.

The young wolf grabbed the girl's free hand and pulled her to a stop. "Where's Kagome? What happened to her?"

The others arrived in time to see the girl shake her head and try to pull away. "No! How do you even know her?"

"Toboe, that's enough!" Kiba said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry about this."

Yet she was not listening as she looked the four of them over, taking in their clothes and with a certain glint in her eyes that made it seem as though she finally realized they were wolves. "...Toboe?" The young wolf perked up at hearing her say his name. "How do you know Kagome?"

"She knows me!" He held out his arm that held the bangles that she had filled with her hama no reiryoku years ago. He had never removed them in all the years he had spent away. Though he did not remember until she had said Kagome's name that she had filled them with some of her strange powers, he did remember the old woman who had given them to him and so, he kept them out of respect for her memory.

She touched them with unsure fingers. They both felt a spark from the power in them before they both jerked away from each other. "I'm sorry for being rude earlier. I'm Rin, I live with her."

Toboe scuffed his shoes against the ground. The thought that she had been around for years and never come to find him ate away at his heart. "How long has she been back?"

"We've been back here about a month now, and busy trying to get everything in order." Rin sighed and shook her head. "Well, c'mon. Let's head back to the shrine, your friends can come, too. I'm sure Kagome will be so happy to see you again! And you all look like you could use a bath and some food." Rin turned and continued on her way without waiting to see if they would come or not, as if she all ready knew they would.

Kiba tightened his grip on Toboe's shoulder when he moved to follow her. "Do you know her?"

"No," Toboe said. "But she knows Kagome. So I trust her. A friend of Kagome's is a friend of mine!"

Tsume crossed his arms and glared at the back of the young woman. "I don't trust her. Or this whole situation."

"Who's Kagome?" Hige asked.

"Just wait until you meet her! She knows everything."

"Well, if she's anything like Rin, but older... Count me in." Hige grinned with perverted intentions before putting his hands behind his head and interlacing his fingers, and following after Rin.

"Hey, wait up!" Toboe called before running after him.

Kiba and Tsume shared similar distrustful looks. Kiba was the first to look away with a shrug. "I suppose we should go. It does mean a place to stay the night at."

Tsume grunted and followed after him. "And someone has to keep those two from doing something stupid."

They caught up in time to hear Hige and Toboe pester Rin with countless questions. Yet Rin only smiled and laughed until one that asked what had happened to the shrine and Kagome's family.

She tried her hardest to appear nonchalant, but a certain pouty quality could be heard in her voice that was similar to Toboe's. "About a year ago, her family was killed and the shrine ransacked while she was gone. The Book of the Moon was stolen, we think her family tried to stop the thieves."

"The Book of the Moon?" Kiba asked. The title sounded familiar as if he had heard it spoken in another town. There was something, he knew, that connected it to Paradise.

"Yes. The Book of the Moon," she said. She paused as she thought. "Do you know of it?"

"I know I've never heard of it. What's it about?" Hige asked.

Rin adjusted her grip on her groceries as she debated whether or not she should tell them. Toboe did not have such qualms. "It's about Paradise, right? And Kagome was its protector, or something like that, right?"

"Yes," Rin said, "that's right. But Kagome can explain things much better than I can. I don't really know or care too much about such things."

She finally stopped walking, though none of them appreciated the sight of so many steps. Though the red torii was a welcome change from the rest of the dull, grey city. "Kagome should be home soon, so you won't have to wait too long," was all she said before leading them up the steps to someone who had the answers to the questions she knew they had to have.

* * *

It had been a tiring day at work for Kagome even though she received very few patients. With all the new technology and medical advances, people did not need to see miko or healers to be treated, they only had to pop a few pills to make everything go away. Kagome sighed as she trudged home through the bitter cold and snow, cursing not only her thin clothes but her thoughts. After spending three years in the sengoku jidai, she had grown used to wearing yukata and skirts; after all they were easier to maneuver in than kimono. So those were the clothes she still continued to wear, even after all the sad memories.

The only thing she had found it in her heart to change was to cut her hair. That era held too many painful memories, and her life in Tokyo had been ruined. It was her way of letting go of her past and memories, so she could start anew. Her once long raven hair was now shoulder-length. Rin had declined cutting her hair as she wanted to live in the past a while longer. Rin had loved Sesshoumaru and Shippou so much, though, so it was rather understandable.

Kagome shook her head to keep from focusing on those thoughts and continued on her way home. A hot meal and a long soak was just the cure she needed and looked forward to. Yet four unknown presences at her shrine felt too familiar to someone from her past for her not to remember. She could remember the blue of Kouga's eyes as if she had just been staring into them. She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes, so she ran the rest of the way home. That way she could blame them and her red nose on the stinging winter wind.

She entered through the back door to bypass the four wolves and to see Rin. She was the only one who could have let them in. Kagome let the door slam shut behind her, and took a special kind of pleasure from it when Rin jumped.

"So, Rin-chan... Who else are you making supper for?" she asked as she rubbed her hands together, trying to bring some feeling back into them.

Rin smiled back at her as she removed her coat and scarf. "A few boys I met. They needed a place to stay and some food to eat. I figured you wouldn't mind since you know one of them."

That caught Kagome's attention, but Rin just smiled secretively before turning her attention back to cooking. Ginta, Hakkaku, and Kouga were the first images to come to mind, but she knew it could not be them as they were dead. Understanding dawned on her and she could barely contain her excitement.

"Toboe?" she all but shouted.

Before Rin could confirm it, Kagome had all ready run out of the kitchen and into the main room to scoop Toboe into her arms. She did not even notice the other three males with him, only on how much he had grown and how good it felt to be able to hug him again. "Oh, Toboe-chan... Where have you been?"

"In different towns. I traveled a lot, just like you, o-nee-san." Kagome laughed even as she cried. "Hey, hey, o-nee-san. Don't cry! I'm fine, and you're fine. I even have friends!"

Kagome pulled away from him, and held him at an arm's length. "I know, I know. I'm just so glad to see you again. And look at how much older you are!"

"You're Kagome?" one of Toboe's friends asked.

She looked up at him and was captivated by his dark looks and blue eyes. At least he did not have silver hair and golden eyes. Blushing, she nodded. "Yes, I'm Kagome. Thank you for watching over Toboe."

Another one of the wolves grinned at her. The collar around his neck gave him a decidedly odd look that she was not sure she liked with such a perverted grin. "Oh, watching the runt was nothing, Kagome-chan! I'm Hige, by the way."

"Don't you mean, pervert?" the wolf wearing black leather said. It hurt to look at him as he did have silver hair. And he spoke with the same caustic tone Inuyasha had.

Toboe sighed beside her. "That's Tsume... He's always getting into fights with Hige."

Kagome smiled and ruffled his hair. She looked back to the one wolf whose name she did not know. "And you?"

"Kiba," he said.

"It's very nice to meet you," she said before realizing her mistake. She quickly shook her head and blushed. "I mean, it's nice to meet _all of_ you. Rin's making supper for us all, and you're more than welcome to spend the night. It looks like there might be a blizzard. Not good for traveling or living, really."

Tsume crossed his arms and leveled a penetrating stare on her. "We're only here to ask you some questions about Paradise. The runts were talking about it."

Kagome's smile was forced as she did not want to discuss such things. Paradise was something she had left behind in her childhood and failed to protect when she forgot to bring the book with her to the past. Her family was dead for that very reason. "After supper."


	3. Truth Revealed

**Disclaimer:** I claim no ownership of _Sengoku Otogizoushi - InuYasha_ nor _Wolf's Rain_. _Inuyasha_ belongs to Takahashi Rumiko, Shogakukan, Viz Media, ShoPro Entertainment, and Shounen; while _Wolf's Rain_ belongs to Nobumoto Keiko. No profit of any kind is made from this fan-created crossover.**  
**

* * *

**Authors:**_** Kurai Mori and Ame-Yume  
**_**_Truth Revealed  
_**

* * *

_Years ago, during the final battle with Naraku and for the Shikon no Tama, Rin had been told to stay behind. She knew she should have listened, but from all the time she spent playing with Shippou, she had developed a rebellious streak. She snuck away from Kaede and the village; it had been almost too easy. Yet that did not occur to her. All she focused on was being close to those she loved and cared about; she refused to be left behind as they went off to battle and to their possible deaths._

_She had run close to where the battle was taking place, inside that strange sphere Naraku had created. So focused had she been on it that she never noticed Naraku kidnapping her._

_She opened her eyes to find the green eyes of Shippou staring straight into them. The rough ground of whatever the sphere was made of is all Rin can feel on her back. She had been certain she had a bruise on her back, as it felt as if she had fallen. The scent of death permeated the air and she tilted her head back to see only a puppet._

_"Sesshoumaru killed him," Shippou had said. His voice was quiet and pouty, and she looked at him in time to see him wince._

_She glanced down, feeling a strange sticky warmth covering her torso, to see him bleeding. It was a painfully large wound that caused tears to well up in her eyes. The sounds of fighting were nearby, but she could not take her eyes off Shippou's wound._

_"Shippou-kun... You're... You're hurt."_

_He had smiled. "Ah, don't worry, Rin-chan... It's just a scratch. You know me, always getting in the way." They both had known it was not just a_ scratch, _but something much worse. Something life threatening, even for a youkai like Shippou._

_She had cried all the harder. "You shouldn't be talking, but saving up your strength. That's what Kagome always says whenever someone gets injured."_

_Shippou had said nothing, but lifted his head and smiled. It had been a terse smile made heart-breakingly beautiful with all the pain etched on his face. "I don't think it'll help this time, Rin-chan."_

_Rin had hugged him then. "Don't say such things... I'm sure Kaede can heal you..."_

_She could feel his sigh as he rested against her body. "Of course." She could feel his breathing become slower and slower, and it broke her heart. "I love you," he had said after a long pause. The words had been simple but he had lingered on each syllable._

_"I love you," she repeated._

_She had tightened her embrace of him and had squeezed her eyes shut against the tears she was crying. Her Shippou was dead. It would be another hour before Kagome found her and told her everyone else had died. The final battle had not gone according to any plan..._

Rin sat up and was half-way in the process of jumping out of bed before she woke up fully. That dream brought back horrible memories for her; memories she would love to forget and leave in the past. She brought her knees up to her chest and tried her hardest to calm her breathing. Her mind was all ready working on figuring out why she had remembered after so long. As her body relaxed, her mind came to only one conclusion as to what, or rather who, could have made her remember.

It had to be Toboe.

It was all in the way he had curled up next to Kagome after supper, the way he had allowed her to groom his tail after dropping his human illusion. It was so similar to what Shippou used to do; they were so similar period.

Rin sobbed into her knees at remembering all the little things Shippou used to do that Toboe also did. She could not help it. Not after that dream.

* * *

"So... Are we gonna leave when everyone wakes up, 'cause it wouldn't be right to leave without thanking those two beautiful women who gave us their hospitality," Hige said. He was lounging on the couch in the sitting room, stretched out like a contented feline though he would not appreciate the comparison. Though it was to be expected, given how for the first time in weeks his stomach was full.

"Doesn't matter if we want to leave or not, the blizzard hasn't let up yet. We wouldn't get too far before getting lost." Tsume leaned against the wall nearest to the stairs. He had questions that still needed to be answered and she was going to give him answers whether or not he had to force them out of her.

"And besides, Toboe isn't up yet. We can't leave him behind," Kiba said. He, too, was leaning against the wall near Tsume, though for an entirely different reason.

"I doubt he would mind if we left him here. The runt likes it enough here," Tsume said.

"And who wouldn't! I'd stay here if I got to sleep in the same bed as Kagome every night!" Hige exclaimed right before his stomach growled. "But first, breakfast... When will someone wake up and feed the hungry?"

A soft laugh brought their attention to the stairs as they saw Kagome walk down them. "Sorry to have you all wait so long for breakfast just because I overslept a little."

"That's all right! With how late you were up it's to be expected," Hige blurted out as Tsume and Kiba groaned. They did not want her to know that they were spying on her when she was with Toboe last night.

She laughed again. "I all ready know you guys were at the top of the stairs listening into the conversation I was having with Toboe." She brushed past them as if the knowledge did not bother her and went into the kitchen. It was as though it was a normal day for her as she pulled out utensils and food.

"How did you know we were there?" Kiba asked.

She spared him only a glance. "You don't even attempt to hide your aura, so of course I'm going to be able to sense you."

Tsume went into the kitchen and grabbed her by the arm. He was beyond fed up with her vague answers and question dodging, and he wanted some concrete answers. "No one with your powers is supposed to be alive, just like no one is supposed to know as much as you! What the hell are you?"

Kagome remained calm throughout it. They had to wonder if she had been in these kinds of situations often. "If you want to know the answers to your questions, then let me go and I'll be happy to answer them... However first, I have a request to make."

"Sure, what is it?" Hige asked her as Tsume let her go.

"I know you four are searching for Paradise and I would like it if you took Rin with you."

"All right, but may we ask why?" Kiba asked, knowing it had to be the question on Hige's and Tsume's minds. And it did not make much sense: why would she want the only other person she has left to go away?

Kagome sighed before going back to making breakfast. "I want her to get away from this place that holds too many memories for her. They're such sad and dark memories... I want her to go off to Paradise to make a new fate for herself: a happy one. And I don't want her to be on this Earth when it dies… Also, since she is a wolf and young, just like all of you, Paradise calls to her as well. Even though she says nothing about it and might even say she doesn't care about Paradise, I know her too well."

"Why don't you take her to Paradise yourself, since you're the so called 'Guardian' of it?" Tsume asked her. He wanted a reason why she was not some guardian, to prove that it was just some tale told to give those stupid enough to go looking for Paradise false hope.

She sighed again and stopped what she was doing to look at them. "Because, Tsume-san, I'm being selfish and wanting what fate is best for me now. I don't want to walk down the road of Paradise. I don't want to die in that way."

"Wait... Does that mean you've been to Paradise before?" Hige said. It was confusing the way she had worded it as everyone thought that when one reached Paradise, one would not want to leave it. _Ever_.

"No, I haven't. But my father went when I was a little girl. He died upon reaching it, as every guardian leading the way does. Paradise isn't entirely meant for us, just like lunar flowers -- we're just there to guide the way."

"How could he have died, just like that?" This time it was Kiba's curiosity that had him asking.

"Guardians of the road to Paradise are only able to lead people and wolves to Paradise. We don't belong in Paradise, but we know the way and are to help anyone looking for Paradise. When he died, his responsibilities fell on me, and I have yet to show anyone the way to Paradise because if I do, it will be the last time I go anywhere. And quite frankly, I have two other fates open to me that I would much rather chose before that."

"So... What's Paradise even supposed to be like?" Hige went for a soft question that had been plaguing him for a while.

"Paradise is every bit what you imagine. Cerulean skies, clear water, green grass. Hills covered in lunar flowers. And each day is filled with a gentle peacefulness that makes you wish you could never leave," she said. "Or so I read that that is what the wolf's paradise looks like. It's the one that should be opened. If anyone else attempts to reach Paradise, well, you get realities like the one we're living now."

"Whaddya mean by 'wasn't meant for you'? You've said it twice now. I thought Paradise was meant for everyone," Tsume said.

She smiled a bit of a rueful smile. "Not human, not youkai. Yet not a wolf, nor a flower maiden. However, looks and smells like a human, has the honor of youkai. And also has the instincts of a wolf, and leads to Paradise just like a flower maiden. So what is left, if there is nothing left?" She asked them a riddle from the _Book of the Moon_ that described the guardians like her. They shook their heads unknowing of the answer. So she tried again, "If the Earth has given birth to youkai, humans and wolves, while Paradise has given lunar flowers and flower maidens. What has yet to give to give anything?"

"The moon," Kiba answered.

"Correct. And the moon sent to Earth its children. Created to lead those on Earth to Paradise and forever remain to tell everyone when everything but Paradise shall crumble."

"_What_?"

"So... I will do one of my duties and tell you when everything but Paradise shall crumble," she said. Her tone was a mocking one with a harsh undertone. It was clear to tell that she hated the job that had been thrust upon her.

"Hold up! Nothing is dying, so how can you say everything is going to crumble?" Hige demanded.

"You're lying to yourself," she said. "I know you're a wolf and that wolves have a special connection to the moon. I know you must feel some pain on the full moon nights, like something inside of you is slowly being crushed."

"How'd you know?" Hige asked her.

"Because I feel it too... Except I feel it every night there is a moon out and more painfully than you all do," she answered. "I hear its cries at night and see the fate of the Moon and the Earth."

"And what are their fates?" Kiba's voice was quiet and serious as he spoke.

She turned around and faced them. "The moon will burst and turn the night sky red with its blood as the Earth slowly crumbles and burns because of the Moon's red tears... Only Paradise will not be touched because it is not connected to the Earth's fate nor the Moon's fate. It has its very own, and that is the full reason as to why I want Rin to go. And hopefully, on whichever road you take to Paradise, you'll teach her some of the ways of the wolf that I cannot teach to her."

"But if she's a wolf, why doesn't she know these things?" Tsume demanded.

She went back to finishing breakfast. "Because she is a human turned wolf."

"How? How does that happen? I've never heard of such a thing before." Hige was genuinely curious.

"Rin comes from about five hundred years in to the past. There, wolves ran freely, some under the rule of a youkai wolf. Rin was killed by wolves such as that when she was nine, about three to four years ago. I believe that when she was killed by the wolves, that one of them had to have a bleeding wound from one of the villagers and its blood went into her, changing her into a wolf, but always having it suppressed by her remaining human blood," Kagome answered his question.

"This is too confusing," Tsume said as he leaned against a wall again.

"That's right. Somehow I don't even wanna know how she is from five hundred years ago," Hige agreed and laid back down on the couch.

Kiba stayed silent, slowly processing all the information she had given. He had hoped that Kagome would have gone to Paradise with them, or at least part of the way, even now he still wanted her to. However he knew that she most likely would not go unless something happened that forced her.

What no one knew was that Rin was sitting on top of the stairs. She had only caught the end of their conversation about her being a wolf. She sat there in shock staring at her hands; never would she have guessed that she was a wolf. Soon to travel with four other male wolves, one of which was almost a total pervert, without the last person she had left from her old life. And also that wolf who seemed to be her age, who reminded her so much of the one she loved so long ago.

* * *

"Kagome-chan? Why do I have to go to Paradise with... those... those _dogs_?" Rin asked as Kagome was packing her a bag filled with clothes, medical supplies, food, and money.

"Because, this world's time is ending and I don't want you here... Plus, they aren't dogs, they're wolves and so are you. I know you heard the end of the conversation I had with them this morning," Kagome answered her.

"If I'm a wolf, then why don't I have a form like theirs?" Rin asked; she was trying to find some reason as to why she was not a wolf and they both knew it.

"You haven't unlocked yours yet, but you will soon. I can help you after I'm done packing your bag," Kagome told her as she jammed a small bag filled with food into her larger one.

Rin sighed. "But I don't want to be the only girl in that pack... Especially with Hige. He's just like Miroku!"

"Yes, he is. But I'd much rather stay here and live until I'm old..." Kagome trailed off at the end as she started thinking about what life would be like then.

"And you'll marry Hojo?" Rin started laughing. "That kid still can't take a hint."

"I'll die before I consider that option Rin-chan," Kagome said as she placed Rin's bag near the door. "Come on, let's find your inner wolf, Rin-chan."

"And prove once and for all that I'm not one." Rin skipped outside as Kagome watched with an amused smile.

Kagome rolled her eyes as she followed Rin outside, stopping only when they had reached the courtyard. "Okay, Rin-chan... Meditate just like I showed you in your training and listen to what I say." Rin sat down, with her legs crossed and her hands resting on her knees, as she closed her eyes and fully relaxed. Kagome took this as her cue to start guiding Rin. "Turn your gaze inward and search your soul for something that stands out."

Rin searched down into her soul looking for anything, and she could find nothing. "There's nothing, Kagome-chan… I told you that I wasn't a wolf."

"You don't see it because you don't want to see it," Kagome said as she placed one of her hands on Rin's shoulder. Rin could feel Kagome in her, guiding her through her soul. Kagome stopped guiding her in front of something that felt soothing, and almost canine. The feeling hardly lasted a second before it disappeared, and she was pushed back to the outside world. Nothing felt different about her, so she figured nothing had happened.

She looked at Kagome smugly to which she only smiled at her. Rin opened her mouth to tell Kagome that it had not worked, but she was cut off when Kagome rubbed her ears. Before Rin knew what she was doing, she began to growl in a poor mockery of a purr from all the feelings that contact invoked in her.

"Wait... Since when do I like my ears being rubbed? When did I ever have ears to rub?" Rin asked with a questioning tilt of her head.

Kagome laughed softly before going back in to the house. She came out a few minutes later with a mirror and held it in front of Rin. She looked at herself and was shocked. She truly was a wolf; she had become the race that had killed her centuries ago. Rin now looked exactly like the wolves that had killed her, all brown except for her white stomach. And her eyes were different: they were now a lighter brown, almost gold, instead of her usual brown. She was probably the same size as Toboe, maybe an inch or two taller.

"I told you, you're a wolf," Kagome said to Rin as she put the mirror down. "Do you need me to help you change back into your human guise, or can you do it yourself?"

Rin closed her eyes and did the same thing Kagome showed her and in no time found herself as a human again. "How did you know I was a wolf, Kagome-chan?"

"I could feel it in you after spending so much time around Kouga-kun. Now, will you go with them without complaining?" Kagome asked her almost pleadingly.

Rin sighed in defeat. "Yes, Kagome-chan."

"Come on, I'm pretty sure that the boys will want to leave soon," Kagome said as she walked into the house.

Rin reluctantly followed and muttered, "All 'cept for Toboe and Hige."


	4. Unwarranted Mistreatment

**Disclaimer:** I claim no ownership of _Sengoku Otogizoushi - InuYasha_ nor _Wolf's Rain_. _Inuyasha_ belongs to Takahashi Rumiko, Shogakukan, Viz Media, ShoPro Entertainment, and Shounen; while _Wolf's Rain_ belongs to Nobumoto Keiko. No profit of any kind is made from this fan-created crossover.**  
**

* * *

**Authors:**_** Kurai Mori and Ame-Yume  
**_**_Unwarranted Mistreatment  
_**

* * *

Inside of Kagome's house, Hige was finishing off the last scraps of breakfast. His stomach was an endless pit that seemed as if it would always be hungry and have room for more. Yet no one, not even Hige, could quite figure out how his body burned through the calories or just what it was doing with all that food. They would not, however, question the ability of his nose which was somehow deeply connected to his stomach: he could sent food from miles away. It would definitely come in handy in their long journey as food was scarce everywhere, even in towns.

The world was going to hell, and only they seemed concerned about that. Everyone else could not be bothered with the end of the world, in fact, the wolves were certain they were ignoring the state of the world to the point that they did not even notice something was wrong. They were ignorant and stupid. Tsume would apply that critique to Kagome as well as she had no desire to truly be of any help. Though the other three wolves he traveled with would not go so far as to say such things; he was more than certain they were going to spend the rest of the day trying to convince her to go with them. The only reason he would want her to go is so that she would die. He hated the way Toboe fawned over her as if she was some mythical figure on a pedestal. He could care less about how Kiba and Hige looked at her, though it was disgusting.

Hige stretched, and they could all hear some of his joints pop. "Ahh," he said with a large pat to his stomach. "That was a great feast. Kagome-chan and Rin are such good cooks. For a while I thought I was going to forget what food tasted like!"

Tsume rolled his eyes and glared at Hige's reflection in the window. "Maybe you'll do us all a favor and forget how to speak."

"Come on guys," Toboe said with a sigh. "Don't start fighting again. We're all together, fed and well-rested... We shouldn't be fighting at all."

"Toboe's right," Kiba agreed. He ignored the glare from Tsume and the snide remark from Hige. Instead he kept looking out the same window as Tsume at Kagome and Rin.

From what he could tell, Kagome was trying to convince Rin that she was a wolf by helping her unlock her true form. Though Kiba was uncertain if it was Rin's true form as she had not been born a wolf, but a human. Her case was definitely strange, especially since the young girl, technically, had centuries on them. Just like Kagome. They had all let that part of her past be glossed over earlier that morning as they could tell it held some painful memories. All of them had pasts they did not talk about or like to remember and would not even tell each other about, so it would have been unfair to ask her to do something none of them would do.

Though Kiba would admit to being curious as to why she was so familiar and at ease around them. She had brushed off the fact that they were wolves without a second thought, and seemed to love their true forms just as much, if not more, than their human guises. She loved petting Toboe's tail, and from the looks of it, she loved being able to tweak ears as well if the content smile on her face from doing so to Rin's wolf ears was any indication. He wondered how she would react to his wolf form. More than that, he wondered if he would even be able to show her as she was determined not to go with them.

"You know, it's not polite to stare at women so intently," Kagome said as soon as she entered the house.

Kiba looked away from the window and from his own thoughts to look at her. She did not seem angry, but amused if the quirk of her lips was to be believed. It seemed as if Toboe and Hige had joined him and Tsume at the window. He did not even notice, and that scared him.

Hige had the decency to look sheepish as he rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry. It's just interesting, watching a human transform into a wolf. I didn't think it was possible."

"Yes," Kagome agreed. "It certainly is different."

"What is?" Rin asked as she finally came inside.

"Nothing!" Toboe said; he smiled brightly at Rin which caused her to shy away. No one, aside from Kagome and Rin, had an idea as to why she did not like Toboe. It was disheartening for the young wolf as he made friends rather quickly, and had never had anyone be wary of him without good cause.

Kagome tried to do damage control by putting her arm around Rin's shoulders and shoving her forward to face them. "So, I guess you'll all be continuing on to Paradise now that the blizzard has stopped and things have cleared up?"

Kiba nodded. "We were hoping to as soon as Rin is ready."

"Are you sure you don't want to come with us, o-nee-san?" Toboe asked; he looked at her with large, pitiful eyes hoping it would do the trick of making her go.

Yet Kagome was used to such tactics from Rin and Shippou. She ruffled his hair before pulling him into a hug. "Yes, I'm sure Toboe. I'm sorry, but I am glad I got to see you one last time."

"Is this farewell, Kagome-chan?" Rin asked; having grabbed her bag in order to not watch the scene between Kagome and Toboe.

"Yes--"

A bullet shot through the window, shattering a vase sitting on a shelf near them.

Tsume was immediately on his feet and grabbed Toboe's arm pulling him away as another bullet shot past where he had been standing. The sound of a dog barking could be heard. Hige was pulling Rin toward the back door as Kiba grabbed Kagome.

"It's that damned hunter again!"

"Wait, o-nee-san!"

Yet Kagome was focused on the hand engulfing hers as Kiba shouted something along the lines of: "I'm sorry, but we have to go!" And then they were out the back door, running into the barren snowy landscape of Tokyo. She could hear her front door cave in, could almost see the man ruining her home and hopes of a normal life with his dog (and they were so familiar, too). She only had time to whisper out a "farewell" before she was dragged into an adventure she wanted no part in.

* * *

_Eight days_. That was how long it had been since the group of six had fled Tokyo. For eight days, the scenery did not change from the view of barren wastelands of snow. All of them were freezing, hungry and tired. Yet they knew if they stopped they would get colder, hungrier and possibly pass out from exhaustion. So they trudged on. Only Kagome felt like a burden as she was the only non-canine in the group and could not keep up with any of them. Not even Rin. She did not have four legs or their stamina; sure, she could keep up for a while, but she would tire much more quickly than they. They had to take turns carrying Kagome, not that Hige, Rin, or Toboe minded too much... But, mainly it was Hige who did not mind.

At the moment it was Tsume carrying Kagome, and they were coming up on a cave. Kagome could tell all of them needed to rest, even if it was for just for a few minutes. Yet there was no way any of them would stop for longer than that. The snow started falling heavier and the sky became darker, but Kagome did not realize this because she was too wrapped up in trying to figure out how to get them to stop for a little bit.

It was not until Tsume dropped her on her butt inside the cave that she realized that her wishes had come true. "I thought we weren't stopping until we reached the next town?"

"If you had been paying attention you would've realized that there's a blizzard outside. Unless you'd like to freeze to death, then, by all means, go right ahead," Tsume said.

Hige stood and glared at Tsume. "Just because you've got a stick up your ass doesn't give you the right to snap at people!" As he moved to get in Tsume's face and have a fight, Kagome placed her hand on his arm. "It's alright Hige… Tsume is right; I hadn't been paying attention, so just drop it."

There was silence for a little while after that. Rin's stomach broke the silence when it decided to speak up about its hunger. "Heehee... Guess it's been awhile since we've had food."

"That's alright Rin... It's been awhile since any of us has had food." Toboe reminded her as his stomach also growled. They had gone through the small pack of supplies Kagome had packed three days ago. The rest they kept in the hopes of using it to get some food at the next town they came across. They had only survived the last three days by eating snow and some grasses whenever they came across them.

Hige moaned from his spot next to Toboe, his hand rubbing his grumbling stomach. "What I wouldn't do for some of that oden we had five days ago right now..."

"Or some rabbit."

"Or some teriyaki skewers..."

"Will you two shut up?" Tsume brought Hige and Toboe out of their food daydreams as his stomach also reminded him of hungry he was.

Kiba turned around to look at the five of them. "You need to learn to survive off of moonlight. We're not always going to have food, and moonlight will sustain you."

"Or we can just eat Toboe and Hige if we get hungry enough," Tsume joked. Kagome and Rin shared a long suffering look as Toboe tried to get Hige and Tsume to stop fighting.

It soon became apparent that Toboe was not needed to stop them from a pointless fight. Hige's nose had led him outside as everyone realized the sudden blizzard had stopped. Everyone else soon followed after Hige, knowing that there were only a few things that would take Hige away from a chance to get raise Tsume's hackles. They were hoping it was the first reason: food.

Outside, they were greeted with a sight that could be considered one of the miracles of the known world. A fresh deer carcass. They all ran after Hige to get a piece of meat, except for Kagome. Only animals had the necessary immune system to eat raw meat without getting sick, and sadly, she did not fall into the category. And for her to eat any of it was just asking for trouble they could not afford.

* * *

It was another two days before they reached the next town. They knew it was not the best place to stop, with its shady streets and cold inhabitants, but they had no choice. They needed food and a warm place to sleep for at least one night. When they entered the town, however, they thought it would be easier than they first expected as nearly all the inhabitants were wolves. Yet they were shocked to learn that their fellow wolves wanted nothing to do with them. Perhaps they should not have been, given that they received a similar treatment from other wolves in most every other town they had been. Though it seemed odd given that it was a town full of them, yet they acted even worse than wolves in hiding.

Kagome barely heard any of the words exchanged between Kiba and the town's leader, her body had gone too long without actual food that she was starting to suffer the consequences of it. From her place on Hige's back, she poured some of her power into Hige to get him to calm down and succeeded in doing so, though it caught the attention of everyone.

"If you keep her with you, you won't make it to Paradise. You'll fail like all who've tried before you. Turn back pup, before you learn what Paradise truly is," the leader of the town wolves said as he turned away from him.

"Perhaps it's you who needs to learn about Paradise!" Toboe shouted at the older wolf. He soon found himself backing away and closer to Rin as the wolves behind the leader snarled threats of death at him.

The older wolf looked at him from over his shoulder. "No... I know all I need to about that fool's dream." With that, he turned and walked away, his pack following him.

"It's alright Toboe... Let them say what they will about Paradise because they didn't have the heart to make it to the end." Rin placed a soothing hand on his shoulder.

"It'd be best if we left here before dawn though," Hige said. "Though what I wouldn't give for a nice steak!"

"Hige," Kagome managed to say, "let's find a place to rest for the night while Rin and Toboe try to find us some food." Hige nodded, as they all went their separate ways.

The following hour was the most hellish of all. The town was so hopeless and fearful of outsiders that no matter where they looked or how nicely they asked no one would give them a scrap of food, or even point them toward anywhere they could get some sleep. Rin and Toboe came back to the group empty-handed while the rest had not managed to secure a small place to sleep. The wolves were just too cold and indifferent to their quest.

"It seems as if they only place we might be able to sleep would be a graveyard. I'm sure the dead won't mind sharing with us," Rin muttered, more in anger than seriousness. However, everyone stopped and looked at her realizing it was probably their only option.

"Looks like one of the runts isn't completely useless," Tsume said as they all headed towards where a graveyard should be in the town. Either way, they would run across it sooner or later.

"_Hey_! I'm not a runt!"

"I'm _not_ useless!"

Hige snickered as Rin and Toboe shouted at the cold wolf, while Kagome and Kiba shared a suffering sigh. It seemed as if a moment of peace was too much to ask for as the three started bickering between themselves once again. Kagome pressed her head closer to Kiba's neck and whispered to him, "As much as I know the three of them like fighting, we should probably break it up."

Kiba shivered, unnoticed to Kagome's weakened body, at feeling her breath against his neck. It was amazing the effect she had on him. Not fully trusting his voice, he nodded in agreement with her words. Tightening the grip he had on Kagome's thighs, he stepped in-between the three of them. "Stop it, all of you. Fighting does nothing but weaken us especially when most of us don't know how to survive outside of villages."

That blow to their pride shut them all up, and they grudgingly followed after Kiba and Kagome. While they hated to admit it, Kiba did have a point. And Tsume knew before this quest of theirs was over, they would no longer be 'domesticated.'

* * *

She watched from the shadows as their pack leader discussed business with one of the humans living in the town. After years of persecution and finding new ways to stay hidden, nearly all the humans believed wolves to be dead. The town they lived in was the only one that knew wolves were not extinct, and to keep it that way, they allowed the humans to exploit them. It was a way of living -- granted, a pitiful way, but a way nonetheless. As the human walked away, she came out of the shadows and walked over to their older, hopeless leader.

"Why did you not help those wolves, Zari? You were not so different from them."

"Paradise is a hell, Cole. The sooner they realize that, the longer they'll have to live," the leader, Zari, responded. He had his own personal reasons as to why he did not believe in Paradise. He had lost many of his pack to trying to find it, they never did. It had shattered all his hope and left him a hollow man. It was time those pups understood that Paradise was nothing more than a story.

The only female wolf in the pack merely shook her head. "Time has changed you. I remember when you were just like them with that sparkle in your eye, and no fear inside… Are you really satisfied living here, like this?"

His eyes hardened as he turned away from her. "I am."

* * *

The graveyard was peaceful and despite the dreariness of their surroundings, it seemed like the best place to sleep. From what they could tell, no one else was in the graveyard. They realized it would probably be the last night they ever got to sleep or stay in such a peaceful place. If this was the welcome they got from other wolves, they could only imagine how dangerous the road they were walking was about to get.

"I suppose we should be thankful we found a place to sleep for the night, but man... What I wouldn't give for some food!" Hige whined.

Toboe sighed and nodded. "Yeah... Even a little scrap would be so --... _Ah_!"

"There's no need to scream, pup. I'm sure an old man soon-to-go can't be that scary," the old wolf whose head popped out of a freshly dug grave said after Toboe was frightened to death.

No one could really blame him, the wolf looked so old and weak he could be mistaken for a corpse already. Rin and Toboe huddled together behind them, not wanting to get closer to the weird old wolf. Kagome could tell that he was nearing his death, and buried her face in Kiba's shoulder, fearing that if she looked into his face, she would start crying.

"Hey, old man, what do you mean by it's almost your time?" Hige crouched down and peeked down into the hole he was in.

"Ah, don't tell me a pup as young as you is going to miss me?"

Kiba's thumbs briefly rubbed Kagome's thighs in reassurance, feeling her distress. It was something he never wanted to feel from her instead he would rather feel her happiness and see the smiles he had not seen since they left her home. Before Hige or Tsume could respond, Kiba spoke up, "Are there lunar flowers here?"

"Ah, pups as you wouldn't know, but at one time, lunar flowers bloomed all over this island! But now... No more lunar flowers..."

Tsume shook his head and muttered something about senile old wolves before asking, "And how would you know that?"

"I, too, sought Paradise in my youth... Ah, it was such a great dream..." He trailed off before pointing to a cave off in the distance. "That's the entrance to the Paradise you seek. But you pups should give up; you still have your lives ahead of you. So many have traveled through there, but none have ever found Paradise."

Tsume looked over to Kiba. "See, Kiba? No one's ever found it before, what makes you think you can? Perhaps it's all just a lie."

Taking his conviction from the guardian he held on his back, Kiba replied, "I know Paradise is out there. I don't know how or why I know, but it is."

* * *

Hige perked up, his nose picking up the sweet smell of food. He turned around, causing the rest of them to as well. Cole, the female wolf of the town's pack, was heading towards them with a bag full of food. Kiba set Kagome down next to Toboe and Rin, and Hige ran off to greet the bearer of food.

"I know our hospitality has been lacking, but we've been through just too much. This food is all that can be spared, so eat up."

Greedily, Hige took the bag and headed over to the rest of them. Kiba looked at Cole with cold eyes before heading off, back into town. Tsume looked at the food with detest, as if he would accept food from another. He had too much pride to ever sink so low as to be indebted to anyone in any way.

"Keep your damn food." He growled before heading off himself. Toboe watched Tsume leave with worried eyes. "Guys, I'm going to check on Tsume," he said before hurrying after Tsume.

"Here, Kagome-chan and Rin should eat as well." Hige pushed half of the food over to them, knowing they needed their strength most of all. Tsume and Kiba would definitely be all right without food, and he was sure Toboe would be as well. He was rewarded with two bright smiles from the women in their strange pack.

Cole watched as the three of them ate, knowing they would need all the strength they could get if they wanted to make it to Paradise. "You three, and the rest of your pack, should come by the station tomorrow morning for something."

Hige looked up just in time to see her walking away. "Think we should head down there?"

Kagome shrugged her shoulders. "I don't see why we shouldn't. We might learn something new, even I can't find the path to Paradise here... There's too much despair."

* * *

Back in the town, Kiba used his nose to track down the wolves that were with their leader when they came in. It had been all ready proven that Zari would say nothing and be of no help, but maybe if he found some of them alone, he could convince them to help him out in his quest for Paradise. After a few more moments of searching, he finally tracked them down.

Walking up to them, he said, "I know you have to know about Paradise, what exactly do you know about it?" The wolves turn their back on him and offered no answer. Even more determined and angry, he continued, "I know there's a passage to Paradise here, where exactly is it?" Again, they did not answer him.

"You're all a pathetic bunch of cowards! I bet you all didn't have it in you to get more than a few steps towards Paradise before losing your conviction... You're not even wolves, you're _dogs_!"

He turned to walk away, having no faith in their courage or worth. They had already proven themselves to have no pride as a wolf; they were no better than lowly pet dogs. Though he was not expecting any of them to take offense at his words, as they had no pride or apparent self-worth, and attack. He was unprepared for the beating he was about to get at the hand of three other wolves.

* * *

The next morning found all but Kiba at the station, wanting to see what Cole had for them. If only they knew what would be awaiting them. Finally the dark secret of the town, the reason why they were so hostile in the face of their hope, was revealed. They worked for the humans unloading cargo from the trains. Toboe clung to Kagome as they all watched the wolves of the town be pushed to their limits, and whipped whenever anyone supervising thought they weren't working hard enough.

Kagome and Rin cried out in horror as they saw the old man from the night before collapse from the strain put on his body. Wolves were not meant or built for such labor, especially one as close to death as he was. This type of treatment was truly unwarranted no matter what they got in turn for their manual labor. They were even more horrified to see Kiba appear, enraged and looking the worst they had seen him.

Before any of them could stop him, Kiba launched himself at the nearest human, intent on killing him. But with the injuries he already had, he was quickly subdued and captured as the rest of his comrades were held back by Zari and Cole. If they did not get involved, it would be easier for Zari and Cole to have Kiba set free and they could leave that much sooner.


	5. Unwarrented Mistreatment Part II

**Disclaimer:** I claim no ownership of _Sengoku Otogizoushi - InuYasha_ nor _Wolf's Rain_. _Inuyasha_ belongs to Takahashi Rumiko, Shogakukan, Viz Media, ShoPro Entertainment, and Shounen; while _Wolf's Rain_ belongs to Nobumoto Keiko. No profit of any kind is made from this fan-created crossover.**  
**

* * *

**Author:**_** Yume Mori  
**_**_Unwarranted Mistreatment Part II  
_**

* * *

As Zari and Cole had promised with their actions and few words, Kiba was returned to them hours later. Though the sun was much higher in the sky and the town wolves had one more reason to hate them. It was not as if most of them cared, but it tore at Kagome to see just how cruel humans could be. While she knew humans were cruel to their own kind and youkai as well, she somehow thought that wolves would not be subject to the same abuse. It was a naive thought, one without much base in reality as she knew humans were often cruel to pets. At the same time, she had never seen a wolf be cruel to another of its kind until now. Then again the general populace did believe wolves to be extinct, just like she had years ago before she was given the Book of the Moon. She supposed it was embedded somewhat into the nature of all living things.

Knowing that, however, did not ease the pain she felt at seeing how wounded Kiba was from the hands of his captors. She was grateful that she actually had food the night before and so, she had enough energy to heal his more serious wounds.

"Is he going to be okay, Kagome-chan?"

Said woman smiled at Rin as she said, "Of course he is. It will take more than this to kill a wolf; you would do well to remember that." The four males of the group could not help but smirk at her words even though they knew she said it more for their prides that had been taking quite the beating in the town.

The one enjoying it the most was Kiba. If this was the treatment he would receive from Kagome every time he was wounded, he might have to go out of his way to do it more often. There was just something pleasurable about how gently her soft fingers would glide against his cuts, taking away the stinging pain and replacing it with electric tingles. He wondered if she noticed his shivers and the goose-flesh that arose where her fingers had just been. While the means may not be pleasurable, the outcome definitely was worth it.

Whether Kagome noticed or not, Tsume did. He could only scoff at their so-called "leader"s attraction to that insufferable woman. Some guardian of Paradise she was if she could not even find the way. "We need to get out of this place as soon as possible."

Toboe looked at Tsume strangely. Such outbursts were not common for Tsume, though he never truly hid his dislike of Paradise. "But why? Especially when we don't know where to go next..."

"Or even before we're all filled up on food." Hige sighed as he rubbed his stomach.

The only female wolf of the group sighed and shook her head, knowing exactly where the conversation was heading. The dark glare Tsume sent to Toboe and Hige confirmed her feeling. "Well if someone didn't go ahead and eat the rest of the food last night, the rest of us wouldn't be hungry."

"I couldn't let that food go to waste! It's not like you and Kiba had to stalk off last night."

"It's not like you had to feed your overgrown stomach either."

Before this could get any worse, Rin cut in, "Perhaps Hige can make it up to you three by trying to see if he can find some food?"

Hige looked affronted. "_What_? Why me?"

Tsume rolled his eyes. "You were the one who ate most of it."

At seeing the agreeing looks on everyone else's faces, Hige hung his head in defeat. "All right, all right. I'll find something," he muttered as he shuffled his way into town.

Kagome watched him leave with a sense of foreboding. To go off alone in the town was asking for nothing but trouble, especially since the wolves there hated them all the more. Turning to Toboe, knowing he was the most likely to actually follow and care about Hige, she said, "Toboe... Could you please follow Hige? I don't trust the wolves in this town…"

The young wolf nodded and smiled brightly before running after Hige. With a small relieved smile, Kagome turned back to the wounds she had yet to heal on Kiba's back. Gently tracing over a bruise that was more on his side, she noticed as he stiffened from her touch. She almost wished it was because he was enjoying her touch, but knew it was most likely because it was a tender spot. Leaning closer to him, she said, "I have to wonder... What happened for you to get so many wounds?"

For what had to be the hundredth time that day, Kiba wondered if she knew what effect she had on him. "The wolves in town," he said. There was no way he was going to tell her that he did _maybe_ provoke them. He had a feeling that would not go over too well with her.

Tsume chuckled at the suspicious look on Kagome's face. While she did not trust the wolves in town, she knew they probably would not attack without reason. For a moment, he considered saying something and getting to watch as Kiba's wonderful treatment came to an end, but he knew this was a chance for him to get some answers. He followed no one without good reason. "Why do you search for Paradise so hard?"

Rin looked over at the silver wolf, wanting to know the same. This was a chance to find out more about the wolf that was as private as the one who asked. Though she could not truly talk about others being private, none of them knew everything about her or Kagome. It was almost like the group Kagome traveled with five-hundred years ago, people with common goals and dreams who cared nothing for the pasts that brought them together.

"When I was younger, I saw a field full of lunar flowers. My pack and I loved those lunar flowers so much that we lived and thrived surrounded by them. But one day they were all burned down, and my pack died. I was the only one who survived, this is the first time since then I've been in a pack," Kiba answered after a moment of silence, drawing strength from the woman at his back. "Why was I the only one who survived? The only reason I can find is that I'm meant to go to Paradise, where those lunar flowers grow... Paradise is the only place left for me to go."

Kagome hugged Kiba from behind, her arms going around his shoulders as she pressed her head against his neck. She knew the pain that came with losing a pack, having lost her friends as well. And really, what was a pack but friends who traveled together to achieve their means?

* * *

The slightly pudgy wolf of the group grumbled as he walked down another street, trying to find the scent of food anywhere. In Kyoto he had learned the value of thievery, and it looked like he would have to put that knowledge to use here if he ever managed to find some food. It was one thing to find a town almost full of wolves, but another to learn just how cold and cruel their own kind could be. And here he had had so much hope that they were not like humans in that aspect.

As he walked through the streets, he tried to ignore the weight of glares and the feeling that someone was following him. As it was, he figured that aside from Cole and possibly Zari, no wolf would feel any sort of friendly feelings toward him or his friends. Whenever he looked behind him, there was no one. With how he was acting, he was beyond glad that Tsume was no where near him; that damn wolf would not miss the chance to taunt him. Like he would also be if he went back to them empty-handed.

His stomach chose that time to voice its displeasure once again. Perhaps Kiba was right: he was domesticated; used to three meals-a-day and hardly any travel. He really had to be, to be able to smell any food nearby, and his sense of smell was so good, too! The scent of freshly cooked meat reached his nose, and he brushed it off at first. It would not be the first time hunger had driven him to smelling things that were not there. But as the scent lingered on, he could not resist his hope and need to follow the enticing smell of meat. It called to the carnivore in him.

And it was right _there_! Right in front of him with no one around, whispering to him... Telling him to take it. Hige was not one to be offered twice, and so he did just that. Or attempted to. His desire made him oblivious to the trap waiting for him, and caused him to be caught as easily as a pup. Thankfully Tsume was not around to torment him, or even Kagome or Rin. That would be worse. And at the same time, he wished they were around to get him out.

"Hey! Aren't you going to help me out or what?" Hige shouted at the wolves passing by him. They spared him no glance as they refused. Their complete lack of honor and pride was the breaking point in the bad day he had been having. "Fine, not like I want help from some stupid little dogs anyways!"

That insult was one they could not stand, and with one well-placed fist, they knocked out their captive. Fortunately for Hige, his pack did care, and his tailer turned to run back to the graveyard. Kagome was right to send her little Toboe out to make sure Hige stayed safe after what happened to Kiba.

* * *

Soon after Toboe returned with news of Hige's capture, the strange pack seeking Paradise was in town, hunting down Zari once again. They would not be leaving without their pudgy comrade. Even though their own leader was currently being supported by Kagome and Tsume, it did not decrease the murderous intent seen in his eyes. If anything, it intensified it. There was nothing more terrifying than someone who had nothing to lose.

It did not take them long to find the so-called leader known as Zari. "How dare you." Rin growled out the second he was within their sight.

Zari turned to regard the young wolf, taking note of their hostility. "How dare I what, pup?"

"The other wolf with us was captured not too long ago. Anyone with a brain knows the pack does the leader's bidding." Tsume narrowed his eyes at the older wolf, who only looked confused.

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Him." Toboe pointed at a wolf standing off to the side. "He's the one who knocked out Hige, not helping him after he had been captured."

The confusion on Zari's face was quickly replaced by anger as he turned to the one Toboe had pointed out. Too much had been happening recently behind his back for him not to believe the strange pack. "Is what the pup says true? Why would you sell out your own kind?"

"Screw off, old man." The wolf's words had even Kiba and his pack in shock. "You lost your rights as leader of this pack the second we started working for humans. The sooner you realize your place, the easier this all will be."

The shock had yet to wear off from the wolf's bold words, so they were able to pass unhindered. Their shock only increased as Zari began to chuckle. "Looks like Cole was right," he muttered to himself before addressing the wolves behind him. "You see this is what happens when you seek out Paradise. The sooner you realize that it's nothing more than a hell, the easier life will be in the future."

"If that's what you think about Paradise, then you never found it." Tsume countered.

Kagome nodded. "Tsume's right. Paradise is a rebirth, you just gave up before you finished going through hell."

"Perhaps." Zari held Kagome's gaze for a moment, as if judging their strength by her own. "I think you all are short one member. Let's get that corrected."


	6. The Flower Maiden

**Disclaimer:** I claim no ownership of _Sengoku Otogizoushi - InuYasha_ nor _Wolf's Rain_. _Inuyasha_ belongs to Takahashi Rumiko, Shogakukan, Viz Media, ShoPro Entertainment, and Shounen; while _Wolf's Rain_ belongs to Nobumoto Keiko. No profit of any kind is made from this fan-created crossover.**  
**

* * *

**Author:**_** Yume Mori  
**_**_The Flower Maiden  
_**

* * *

As soon as they left the town, taking the tunnel that Zari had taken them to after returning Hige to them, Kagome could sense the path to Paradise once more. The depression and agony behind them and no longer pressing down upon her skull, it was easy enough to find. Yet it all meant nothing if they did not have a Flower Maiden-the one who could open Paradise. Though the further they traveled, the more she could sense another presence. She figured it had to be the Flower Maiden, but she said nothing in case it turned out to not be true.

That had been two days ago, though. They seemed no closer to Paradise or the Flower Maiden even though they traveled as fast as they could. And, at the moment, it was not too fast given the forest they were trudging through.

Hige stopped in front of her, his scenting of the air easily heard by Kagome. The others continued on, unnoticing. "Hey, does anyone else smell that?"

"Your disgusting stench? Yes, we do."

"Screw off, Tsume! There's a scent of flowers in the air."

Everyone else stopped and looked back at the pudgy wolf. Even Kagome and Rin knew there was only one reason he would smell flowers, even in the middle of a forest.

"Cheza's nearby," Kiba said. Without a second look back at them, he ran off through the woods. The other wolves sighed at his one-track mind; only Kagome and Rin seemed to find this surprising. They had been told about Cheza, but they had not known about Kiba's near obsession with her. It hurt a little for the young woman. Especially when the others ran off after Kiba in order to not be left behind. Only Hige seemed to remember that she was human and could not keep up as he turned and grabbed her before trying to catch up. Though his nose was incredibly sensitive, they knew they would have their ears lectured off for falling behind.

Kagome buried her face into Hige's chest to keep from becoming motion sick; they all ran at such high speeds that the scenery around them became nothing but blurs. It made her sick to even think about it. The only good thing about it was that they fast came to the edge of the forest. The rest of the pack was stopped at the base of a sheer cliff face, which seemed odd given the geography.

They only way to go was up. Non-humans truly had it good; they could jump their way up the vertical drop instead of having to climb it. Yet even Kagome knew there was no way she would ever be able to make it up there. While her years spent in the Feudal Era had strengthened her body, she knew she did not possess the upper body strength necessary to climb that.

"Everyone, start climbing. We'll meet at the top," Kiba said as soon as Hige had placed her on her feet.

It did not take everyone else long to figure out that she would have a problem, if the looks they gave her then the cliff-side were any indication.

Kiba walked over to her. "Unless someone has a better idea, I'll carry her up."

"Just how will you do that? You'll need both arms in case something goes wrong," Hige pointed out.

Kagome blushed. "I'm pretty sure he means to carry me piggy-back style, Hige-kun."

The silver wolf nodded his head before turning to everyone else. "We don't need to waste anymore time standing around here. Let's get climbing."

The blush did not fade from her face as Kiba helped her cling to his back. It had been awhile since anyone had carried her like that, and she could not deny how much she enjoyed being pressed that closely to Kiba. Running was a thrill all in itself, yet she had never had the pleasure of being carried up a mountain. That was a rush of a completely different kind. She had a feeling Kiba was enjoying it as well.

They were the last to make it to the top. And it was with great reluctance that Kagome slid off Kiba's back. She could have sworn she heard Rin chuckling at her, just like she was certain the young woman could tell she felt something for Kiba. Kagome knew it was possibly his silver fur, ears, and tail that sealed her attraction to him.

"Took you two long enough," Tsume said before turning to follow the strong scent of flowers.

Toboe sighed. "I don't see how anyone can be angry with such a pleasing scent in the air."

"Come on, let's find Cheza," Kiba said to everyone though his gaze was focused on her. It was brief, but enough to make her blush more.

With a nod of agreement, they all followed after Tsume and Kiba further away from the drop they had climbed. With each step they took, the scent of flowers grew stronger enough that every breath Kagome took in was filled with the scent. It was relaxing in a strange way.

It was hard to tell when forest became the compound as it was horribly dilapidated and its walls were no longer tall and sturdy. They could no longer keep out the nature it had been built around, and from possible years of neglect, it grew unimpeded. It was not long after they entered it that they came across a very strange-looking girl who had to be the Flower Maiden, or Cheza, as Kiba called her. Her short pink hair and eyes, and pale skin made her seem very otherworldly if the aura of peace and calm did not. However, that did nothing to ease the ache in Kagome's heart when she watched Kiba walk up to her as if he had eyes only for her.

She supposed he did. To Kagome, it seemed as if he had lost all sense of his surroundings, and she did not think it was a wrong assessment as all the other wolves acted the same.

She had been so blind-sighted by the pain and jealousy that she barely recognized that they were traveling through the compound or as they were surrounded by soldiers. All she could focus on were the entwined hands of Kiba and Cheza, and the way he smiled for her, and the intense feeling of déjà vu. Only when Tsume wrapped an arm around her waist before taking off to avoid the gunfire did she come back to her senses, and by then, it was just her and Tsume heading toward safety.

* * *

A few hours later found Kagome, Hige, Rin and Toboe wandering around the nearby town on the other side of the mountain. Kiba and Tsume had been left on the outskirts of town with Cheza; none of them would risk bringing Cheza into a town. The Nobles had far too many spies who would jump at the opportunity to capture the Flower Maiden. That left the four of them to see if they could stock up on anything that would be necessary or find out any information that would help them out.

The only problem was that of money. Though their escape from Tokyo and the Higurashi Shrine had been a couple of weeks ago, they no longer had any supplies. Her bag full of items to barter with or sell had been forgotten somewhere along the way-none of them knew exactly when. Even with it, Kagome had a feeling it would not have been enough to buy everything they needed.

She turned to Rin as she remembered something from their time in the past. "Say, Rin-chan? Do you still remember what Shippou taught you about..._borrowing_?"

Hige and Toboe looked at Kagome strangely, wondering why she would be talking about borrowing of all things. Rin even looked confused for a moment before she caught onto what Kagome meant as Shippou never _borrowed_. "I might be a little rusty, but I still remember... And I thought you told me I couldn't do it in these times?"

"Well," Kagome drawled out sheepishly, "I think our situation is desperate enough for it to be necessary."

That was all that the young girl needed to hear. She smiled brightly before running ahead.

Toboe leaned close to Kagome. "What did you ask her to do, o-nee-san?"

Even Hige leaned in closer to hear her answer, curious as well. "She is going to get us some money."

"So, you just gave her the go-ahead to steal?"

"Yes, basically," Kagome answered Hige's question as they watched Rin walk through the streets ahead of them. Not even Hige, who once got by on stealing, could see her make any moves to pickpocket. "When Rin comes back, Toboe, you two should go off to see if you can find or hear anything that might make our journey ahead easier. Hige and myself will get us some supplies."

"Sounds like a good plan, Kagome-chan."

"We'll meet up in an hour where we parted ways with Kiba and Tsume."

* * *

"This one thanks Rin and Toboe so much!" Cheza said as she looked over the gifts they had given her. Rin had bought her a pair of pink boots, knowing the importance of good footwear. However she was less thrilled over Toboe's gift of a faux-fur stole.

Her fake enthusiasm over Toboe's gift upset Kagome. She preferred people say how they really felt over sparing people's feelings. When the truth came out, as it always did, it would hurt more. Picking up one of the katsu-sando before it could be scarfed down by Hige, she handed it to Toboe with a small smile. "You did a good job today, I'm glad you stayed with Rin to keep her safe."

She chuckled at his blush. "Well, Rin is a special person to you, o-nee-san."

Ruffling his hair affectionately, she turned around to rejoin Rin and Hige, only to come face-to-face with an elderly woman. There was something different and familiar about her. Different because she did not feel like a human or wolf; familiar because she felt somewhat similar to the flower maiden they had just picked up. "Who are you?"

Her question alerted everyone else to the presence of the strange woman. They had not noticed her because Cheza's presence over-powered that of others. "I have no business with any of you, but that one," the elderly woman said as she pointed at Cheza, "I must speak with."

Kiba and Tsume moved protectively in front of Cheza, as Kagome and Toboe backed away to join Rin and Hige. They wanted no part in any confrontation that could possibly take place. "What business do you have with Cheza?"

The old woman chuckled as she removed her glasses, revealing the same magenta eyes as the Flower Maiden behind her. "Forgive this old woman. I only wish to speak to that one."

Cheza lightly touched Tsume's shoulder as she brushed past the two wolves. "This one is here for you to speak to."

"Ah, that one truly is a finished product," the woman said to herself before clarifying at the confused and curious stares directed at her. "Long ago the House of Darcia sought to create maidens from the lunar flowers that bloomed profusely. When the House of Darcia fell, us, who were not completed, migrated to this town. The years have been long, and now I am the only one who still lives. Unfinished products cannot live for too long, however that one is truly complete."

"You seem to have other desires than to speak with her," Tsume commented, and the elder Flower Maiden nodded her head.

"While it is Destiny for the wolf to seek the Flower, and the Flower, the wolf, if that one stays with you, it will lead to nothing but danger. If that one stays here with us, she can keep us alive."

Despite herself, Kagome hoped that Cheza would stay behind and things could go back to normal. But she knew it was just her jealousy talking. How could she not be? After years of following Inuyasha around, hoping for his love, this situation was starting to look too familiar. "Sorry, but this one will continue on towards Paradise."

"That one will die."

Cheza smiled as she took Kiba's and Tsume's hands, walking forward. "This one is fine with that." The rest of them grabbed what they could and followed after the three quickly walking away.

After a few steps forward, Kagome paused and looked back at the old woman. Anyone could tell that she was close to dying. Many had often told her that her compassion would be the death of her, but she could not help her altruism. "I may be able to help," Kagome said as she knelt down next to the dying woman. She reached out to try and extend her life a little longer, only to have her wizened hands push hers away.

"No, I would rather die before this world." Kagome nodded in understanding. Before her shrine had burned down and caused her to join the pack Toboe was with, that had been her desire as well.

"O-nee-san?" Toboe asked, his eyes darting between the two women. Kagome looked over to the brown-haired youth, waiting for him to continue. "Me and Rin didn't want you to fall behind."

"All right." Kagome looked back down at the woman only to see that she had already passed on. Smiling sadly, Kagome slipped her hand from the lifeless grip before heading over to Toboe. A small part of her had been hoping Kiba would have come to collect her, but she was grateful for Toboe's concern.

* * *

Night came far too quickly for many of their tastes as they had hoped to cover more ground before settling down for the night. Yet, as it stood, they had another traveling with them that could not keep up with the pace they set even if they tried. The added weight Kiba and Tsume bore from Kagome and Cheza slowed them down. And the only reason they camped out was because of Kagome's warning.

The forest that impeded their goal was one that stunk of death. There was something unnatural about it that caused their hair to stand on end. Kagome warned that they should not start their trek into the forest until morning and that they should not make camp in that forest, but it was Cheza's agreement with her words that cause them to heed her warning. Needless to say Kiba's ignoring of her, especially after the time they spent together only days earlier, hurt her deeply. It seemed as if once again she would be second in the heart of the man she could say she cared about.

Even now in the way they sat together could the changed dynamics be seen. For the first time since Kagome and Rin joined, did Kiba not sit near Kagome. The fire they huddled around for warmth in the cold, dying world separated Kagome from Kiba, as he sat next to the flower maiden that held his attention now. At least she had Toboe and Rin still by her side, pressed against her and wanting her attention. And as normal, Tsume and Hige kept their distance from each other in much the same way Kagome and Kiba were.

"Everyone," Cheza's soft voice brought their attention to her, "this one truly does want to travel with you, but if you do not desire it, this one will understand."

"Nonsense Cheza," Kiba quickly replied, "you are more than welcome." The smile they shared tore at Kagome's heart.

Tsume nodded his consent as Hige said, "Yeah, Kiba's right. You're definitely welcome to stay with us."

Kagome sighed as she felt everyone's eyes on her, wanting to know her answer. While she could lead them to the entrance of Paradise, she could not open it. Forcing a smile as she ran her hands through Rin's and Toboe's fur, she said, "It would be a pleasure if you continued to travel with us."

"Welcome to the pack, Cheza!" Rin and Toboe happily shouted, glad to see her smile.

"Thank you," Cheza said with a smile as she began to hum softly. While the overall mood of everyone had been lifted slightly, the dark feeling that flowed from the forest nearby created an unease that made relaxation and sleep nearly impossible. Kagome watched as the song Cheza hummed slowly began to take effect and as they fell off to sleep one-by-one. Tsume held out the longest, but even he could not fight the peaceful sleep his mind was willing to receive.

As Cheza continued to hum, Kagome turned her gaze up to the night sky. She had a feeling this would be the last night she would see the moon for a few days. It would be both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because she would not be able to hear its cries, and a curse because she would not be able to draw what strength she could from it.

"Why does this one's song not affect you?"

Kagome tore her gaze away and focused it on the Flower Maiden. "I'm not a wolf; I'm the other that is necessary to make it to Paradise."

"This one was wondering why you seemed different," Cheza admitted, looking up at the moon Kagome had been looking at moments before. "This one sees the moon is already orange, time is running short."

The other young woman nodded in agreement. "Yes... In a few days it will be full, and I have no doubt that by the following full moon, it will be blood-red, and it will die along with this world."

Cheza made a soft sound of agreement; they would be lucky if the world held out for that long.


	7. Pained and Lost

**Disclaimer:** I claim no ownership of _Sengoku Otogizoushi - InuYasha_ nor _Wolf's Rain_. _Inuyasha_ belongs to Takahashi Rumiko, Shogakukan, Viz Media, ShoPro Entertainment, and Shounen; while _Wolf's Rain_ belongs to Nobumoto Keiko. No profit of any kind is made from this fan-created crossover.**  
**

* * *

**Author:**_** Yume Mori  
**_**_Pained and Lost  
_**

* * *

Dawn's light broke free from the clouds shining light upon a less tension-filled group. Cheza's haunting tune that had put them to sleep the night before carried away their troubles with each note's cadence. The only person it had no effect on was the guardian, a woman tormented by the powers of the dying moon. But, of course, none of the wolves knew that. They were happy in their ignorance, and she was not one to shatter that. If anything, that was how she wished they could always be. She had never liked seeing those she was close to in any type of pain or suffering.

Soon, there would not be any suffering for a while. Soon, they would reach Paradise. They only had a little while longer before the world and moon died, and she wanted them all to be in Paradise before then. She cared about them all too much to want them to die in this world.

Sighing softly, she stretched out making sure not to disturb Rin or Toboe. Both of them were too cute and sweet for their own good, yet she liked them that way. They were much better than older people who knew how to lead a person on before dropping them for another. Hopefully neither of them would grow up to be that way, there were far too many of those types in this world already. And speaking of those types...

"Good morning, Kiba-kun," Kagome said as she saw the silver wolf already awake.

Kiba was unsure as to how he should reply. A few days ago he would have had no problem returning the greeting, but ever since Cheza had joined their pack, he realized something had changed between him and Kagome. He could not help it that Cheza's very nature pulled him to her, but at the same time, he was pulled to Kagome. While he loved the sense of peace that came from being in Cheza's presence, he needed to feel Kagome's electric touches and the warmth of her smiles. Taking a risk, he nodded his head in return as he said, "I hope you slept well, Kagome."

He basked in the warmth of the smile that he had been wanting to receive before his chest constricted painfully at the guarded look in her eyes. "I did, thank you," was her soft reply as the rest of their companions started to awake. "If we want to make good time, we should start heading through the forest as soon as everyone wakes up."

At seeing the waking faces of the other members of his pack, he knew this was no time to try and have a conversation with her. The next time they made camp, he would talk to her and figure out what was wrong between them. Their passive-aggressive dancing around the issue was something he could not stand. He waited for all of them to appear more alert before saying, "Come on, let's go."

After stepping foot into the forest, they realized exactly why Kagome and Cheza had warned them against this forest. Already they could feel the disorientating effects, and could tell this would be one long trip. The only hope they had was the fact that the forest could not go on forever.

* * *

Their initial thoughts about getting out of this forest were thrown out the window as they were well into the second day of being lost. Tensions were running high as they appeared to be walking in circles, though they could not tell because everything looked the same in this forest. There were no splashes of color or any sign of anything living (other than them), everything was rotted and dead. If that was not confusing enough, there were no smells throughout the entire forest, aside from their own, so they had no way of sniffing out anything living, or at least, a path towards something living.

It was all very frustrating, to say the least. They were all suffering from the forest since no sunlight or moonlight really made its way through the dense, dead branches. Their food and water were almost gone causing them all to be more sluggish than normal, and most of them were irritable over the fact that not only was Kagome showing signs of fatigue, but Cheza was showing signs of wilting as well. It was enough to cause dissent.

"Man, this is really starting to suck." Hige sighed. The monotony of the situation was making it hard to remain upbeat.

Toboe nodded. "It wouldn't be so bad if everything didn't look the same..."

"It feels like we're just walking in one giant circle," Rin added.

"I wouldn't be surprised if we were." Tsume growled causing Kiba to turn around and glare at him.

"We are _not_ walking around in circles."

"Doesn't change the fact that we're still lost. Your nose is seriously clouded with her scent if you can't tell that!"

"Leave Cheza out of this!" Kiba's shout startled Kagome and Rin who had never heard him take that tone of voice. Kagome wondered if anyone would ever defend her that fiercely in this time. "I don't see you doing anything to help us out."

"I was waiting to see if you would ever prove you knew where you were going."

By that point both were standing toe-to-toe, giving off the impression that within seconds fur would be flying. Everyone else edged away from the killing intent they were both giving off. In normal circumstances their exchange would not have provoked this kind of reaction, but this was not a normal circumstance. They were all ready to snap after being lost in that damn forest for two days.

"Just shut up, both of you!" Everyone turned to Kagome in shock, nearly all of them having never seen her get angry before. "Arguing isn't going to get us anywhere!"

Tsume was the first to recover from her unexpected outburst. "Neither are you! Some guardian you are."

Everyone else went as silent as the forest around them. While they knew Tsume was not the nicest of people, they did not expect him to say anything like that. For Kagome, it felt like she had just been punched in the stomach. Those words were the same ones she had heard years ago; the same words she had said to herself during her previous quest. No one knew what to do or say as they watched Kagome try to blink back tears. However her anger took hold of the next words out of her mouth: "If that's how you feel then fine! You all can find Paradise on your own!"

Rin was the first one to react to seeing Kagome run off. "Kagome-chan! He didn't mean it!" She glared at Tsume and the other males in the group for not standing up for Kagome before running after her.

The other young wolf of the group started panicking as he watched the two females he liked run off. "Rin! O-nee-san! Don't!" he shouted before trying to catch up to the two women.

Hige sighed. "Completely uncalled for Tsume… You didn't have to go so far, and now we gotta find them."

"When we find them, you need to apologize," Kiba told the black wolf as he adjusted his hold on Cheza, getting ready to take off after the two pups and Kagome. It nearly destroyed him seeing Kagome cry.

Tsume only rolled his eyes and muttered, "Why apologize for the truth," as they used Hige's nose to track down the missing three wolves. He was unprepared for when Hige turned back to him and told him it seemed they had found the way out of the forest.

* * *

Tension and anxiety had fled from all of them as soon as they escaped from the clutches of the forest of death. They all enjoyed the feeling of clean air weaving through their hair and fur, and all were taking in the sun's warm rays. Rin and Toboe were playing some form of tag through the clearing, while Kagome and Cheza were at the nearby stream, taking in the fresh water that they had not had in days. Hige and Tsume were sitting not far from them, keeping an eye on the pack while Kiba went off to see if there was anything edible nearby.

Lying on her back, Kagome looked up at the sky. She was feeling incredibly guilty about getting involved in the fight Kiba and Tsume had. If only she had kept her mouth shut she would not have had to hear the words Tsume directed towards her.

Kagome rolled over onto her stomach, staring openly at Hige and Tsume. The chubby wolf had his eyes on Rin and Toboe, and she was glad someone was watching over them. However she blushed when she noticed that Tsume was looking directly at her and Cheza. Only for her blush to disappear at noticing his eyes were fixed on the flower maiden.

Really, she could not help but feel jealous at seeing his eyes focused upon her. What was so special about Cheza? What did Cheza have that she did not? So what if she did not smell as good as the flower maiden, or looked as pretty as her, or never got angry and raised her voice like her? She was still only a flower. Then again, everyone else were wolves.

Kagome sighed heavily, and pushed herself up off the ground. Ignoring the questioning look Cheza gave her, she headed off into the living part of the forest wanting some time alone. She really should not be getting jealous; it was not like she could ever be with Kiba once this journey was over. She would not even get to see it completed.

"The runts wouldn't like it if you ran off."

She turned around at hearing Tsume's voice. For a moment, she was sad that it really had been Tsume and not someone else. "Why would I run off?"

"What other reason is there for you to go wandering off by yourself?"

Kagome rolled her eyes. "Perhaps for something called 'alone time.' "

"And your true nature begins to show," Tsume said.

"And yours, we've yet to see," Kagome countered. After a small moment of silence, she sighed and shook her head. "Look, I'm sorry about everything. Could we start over?"

He scoffed, "It's a little too late for that."

She sighed again. "All right then, but can I ask something of you?"

"Didn't give me a choice," he said, but she ignored it. She had spent too much time around Inuyasha to respond to his taunt.

"I have only one thing to ask of you, Tsume." Kagome looked away from him, unsure of herself in the face of someone so similar to Inuyasha. "Promise me that if something were ever to happen to me... That you'll watch over Toboe and Rin?"

He looked at her strangely, about to ask what the hell she meant by that. Then he remembered her words from when they had first met her. It seemed like it was a lifetime ago that they had first met her, and seemed so hopeless that they would ever find Paradise that they all had forgotten why she did not want to come along. As soon as she led them to Paradise, she was going to die. And instead of asking permission to run away or something else, she was instead worrying about the runt.

Is that what it meant to love someone? To do everything to ensure that they would be happy after you died?

Tsume inclined his head enough to let her know he would. It was all Kagome needed to be happy. Without even thinking, she threw herself at him, hugging him tightly. "Thank you so much!"

The sound of brush being pushed aside had Kagome pulling away from Tsume in time to see the back of Kiba's jacket disappear from view. Completely forgetting about Tsume, she ran off after the silver wolf while cursing herself for putting herself in such a position. She knew exactly how Kiba had to feel (that was, if he _had_ feelings for her) as she had stumbled across scenes similar to the one she was just a part of far too often in the past.

"Kiba!" she cried out as she lost sight of him. What did she expect-he was a wolf and she was nothing more than a glorified human path-finder. "It's not what it looked like," she whispered as she allowed herself to crumple to the ground, tears threatening to fall.

"Then what was it?" Kiba's voice had her twisting her head behind her to see if it really was him.

Looking back ahead, she sighed. "All that happened was me trying to apologize and him promising to watch out for Toboe and Rin."

She jumped at the unexpected feeling of arms pulling her back into a solid chest. Kiba nuzzled his face into her hair and against her neck. "You shouldn't go around hugging just anyone, it sends the wrong idea."

"So you're telling me not to be myself?" she scoffed. "And why would you even care? You've been acting like I haven't existed the past few days."

Kagome shivered at feeling his warm breath against her neck. "That wasn't my intention."

"What wasn't?" She turned her head to the side in the hopes of catching a glimpse of his face. If there was one thing she could not stand, it was not looking someone in the face as they spoke.

Kiba loosened his grip on her so she could turn around in his lap. "Both weren't. I wasn't telling you not to be yourself and I wasn't ignoring you… Or were you jealous?"

"Were you?"

"Of course."

She stared at him for a long moment, not used to such unhesitant honesty. "Do you honestly mean that?"

"I'm not someone who lies, Kagome."

Kagome smiled at him. "I never thought you were."

Kiba pulled Kagome into a tight embrace. "I'll find a way for us to be together in Paradise," he whispered into her ear before releasing her.

Standing up, he offered his hand to her. She took it with a sad smile, knowing that that was impossible.

* * *

Rin and Toboe watched with worried eyes as Kagome's skin became as pale as the full orange moon that filled them all with energy and giddiness. All of them except for Kagome.

They remembered her words from before she joined them-how she had told them she was attached to the moon. How she could feel its pain. They could only imagine how much pain she had to be feeling, being in plain sight of the full moon. The night the moon's power was as its greatest.

Her hands found themselves in their fur as she began to stroke them, soothing some of their fears. "Go on: join the rest of the pack. I'll be fine," she told them with a soft voice.

Both Rin and Toboe had spent enough time with Kagome to know there would be no reasoning with her at this point. Rin ran ahead to join the rest as they howled and frolicked around Cheza, absorbing what they could of the moonbeams.

Toboe turned sad eyes to Kagome. "Are you sure, o-nee-san?"

Kagome smiled, her happiness hiding the pain in her eyes. "I'm sure, Toboe. Now go, enjoy the full moon."

Nodding his head, his illusion dropped as he ran off to join the rest of their pack. "Enjoy the last full moon here as much as you can, Toboe... Until the moon dawns in Paradise..."

And under the light of the moon with the air charged with an almost magical quality and serenaded by the howls of wolves, Kagome fainted. The pain hiding beneath all the power and happiness of the full moon had been too much for her to bear as everyone else felt rejuvenated. As the tall grasses hid Kagome's body from view, her power and duty pushed to the forefront of her consciousness. Before everyone's eyes, a path of lunar flowers appeared leading them further to the West where Paradise was waiting for them to arrive.

They were so caught up in the rapture of the moon's light that they ran into the path of lunar flowers and towards Paradise. Their joyful howls continued to fill up the air of the night. It was only after a minute of running that the scent of lunar flowers faded enough from Kiba's mind for him to notice that they did not have Kagome among them. She had been left behind.

Without a second thought, Kiba turned around and followed the path of dying flowers back to Kagome. Paradise now meant nothing to him if she was not around to share it with him.

"So it seems one of you still had enough sense to realize you were missing someone."

That voice. He knew it all too well. It belonged to the man who had first taken away Cheza when it had been just him and Hige: Darcia.

"What did you do to Kagome!" Kiba demanded. Her limp body was being held carelessly in Darcia's hands.

"I did nothing to her." Darcia lightly caressed her face. "Such a pity her beauty won't be able to grace any Paradise that opens. How selfish of her pack to care nothing of her health so long as she manages to get you to the entrance of Paradise."

Kiba growled at the fallen lord, his hackles rising. "Shut the hell up and release Kagome!"

"Or you'll do what?" He taunted before chuckling at seeing the rest of Kiba's pack arrive. "You were stupid to return with Cheza. Now I'll be unburdening you of both your guides."

"Like hell you will!" Kiba ran towards Darcia with his teeth bared, intent on using his canines to rip through Darcia's skin. He fully intended to kill Darcia and retrieve Kagome. But he never saw the gun that Darcia pulled out until the bullet was lodged in his side.

Pointing his gun at the rest of them, he said, "Hand over Cheza and you will get to live."

"Never!" Tsume and Hige growled out. They rushed towards Darcia only to receive the same fate as their leader.

As he turned his gun towards Rin and Toboe, Cheza stepped forward. "Please! This one will go with you if you promise this one that you will spare them."

"Very well." Darcia put his gun back in its holster beneath his robe.

Cheza walked over to the fallen wolves, using her unique abilities as a flower maiden to heal their wounds as best as she could. They would live and that was all she could give them in exchange for trying to keep her from Darcia's clutches. Yet what hope could wolves have against a noble with a gun?

"Please, tell them of this one's gratitude when they wake," Cheza said to Rin and Toboe.

"Cheza, come," Darcia called out to her.

"I will," Rin said as she watched Cheza walk over to Darcia and Kagome, and his airship.

All they could do was wait for Kiba, Tsume and Hige to wake up so they could go after Darcia. They both would not give up until they had Kagome and Cheza back with them.

* * *

Tremendous pain. The kind that caused white sparks to appear before the eyes was the first thing that greeted Kiba upon awakening. It felt like it had been a lifetime since he had felt so much pain. Ever since Kagome and Cheza had joined his pack, even minor pains were quick to disappear.

..._Kagome! Cheza!_

Kiba bolted upright, ignoring the pain that rushed to his head as she remembered the events of last night. He looked around and saw no trace of either woman, only Toboe, Hige, Tsume and Rin.

"What happened to Kagome and Cheza?"

"Looks like you're finally awake," Tsume said, ignoring his question.

It was not like they were all jumping for joy over what happened a few hours ago, or willing to admit what had happened, even Kiba was awake enough to know that.

Rin sighed, a habit he was sure she picked up from Kagome. "That man took Kagome and Cheza away in his airship. He headed west, toward Paradise."

Kiba shook his head to clear it of the lingering pain, but seemed to only make it worse. "We should head that way then. If we run non-stop, we should be able to catch up to Darcia, and Kagome and Cheza as well."

"That's what we had in mind, but we were just waiting for you to wake up so we could head off," Hige said.

"Then let's go."

* * *

Kagome moaned softly in pain as she finally began to wake up. Her body was stiff and protested against her movements as she tried to sit up.

"This one was beginning to worry about when you would wake up." Cheza's voice caused her to pause in her movements.

"How long have I been asleep?" Kagome asked as she looked around, not recognizing the area they were in and not seeing anyone else she recognized. "And where are we? Where are the others?"

"You have been asleep for two nights," Cheza answered. "And we are where this one was born... Kiba and the others were left behind, but this one knows they are well."

Kagome was about to ask another question, as she had been asleep for nearly two days and had no clue as to what was going on at all, however she found her attention focused on the dark man not too far from where she was.

"My dear Harmonia, I will make Jagura pay for destroying your life. I finally have what we've needed to go to Paradise, and now it means nothing. Paradise only had meaning if you could have lived and been there with me... Paradise was your dream, and I will fulfill it for you. Perhaps, we'll meet again there one day."

While Kagome had a feeling he was her kidnapper, she felt sorry for him. She knew love could make people do so many strange, stupid and completely wrong things, and he, apparently, was one of them bound to his love. That was why she could only feel sorry for him.

"Darcia!" Kiba yelled out from the entrance to the room. "Give back Kagome and Cheza!"

Kagome looked over at him; she had not heard him enter nor had she sensed him. She feared how much closer they had to be to Paradise for her hama no reiryoku to be failing her in such ways.

"Kiba." Cheza breathed out his name as the rest of their pack appeared behind him.

"It seems no matter what happens, wolves will always blindly chase after flowers and Paradise like dogs. Only this time, it's not just a flower our of your reach. What will you do if one happens to die? Would you give up your search for Paradise, or continue on?"

She figured that his question would be beyond odd to them, and it would have been to her as well had she not heard him mourning over the death of his love. He was interested in the answers as he did not know them or what he should do now.

"The hell are you talking about?" Hige asked.

"Just shut up already and hand them over!" Tsume demanded.

Kagome took a different approach. She stood and said, "Even if one of us were to die, they won't stop looking for Paradise. It's greater than a life." She pulled Cheza to her feet and pushed her toward Kiba, though it broke her heart to do so. Her death was already a given, yet she wanted it to be on her terms. "Cheza will be no use to you here, especially when you're fighting with another noble. She'll be safer with them."

"Kiba!" Cheza ran forward, and Kagome hoped she would make it to the safety he provided with the rest of the pack.

Only her arm was grabbed and her body pulled into Darcia's dangerous embrace. The hand he used to grab hold of her came up to wrap around her neck, squeezing it painfully. It became clear to Kagome then: whether or not Cheza lived no longer mattered to him with his love dead.

Kagome saw her chance to run as Darcia was preoccupied with Cheza and tried her luck. As she felt his free hand fist in her hair and throw her to the ground, she remembered that she had never had too much luck in the first place. It was one four-letter word that never existed in her world when she was kidnapped. The gun that was pressed against her forehead only solidified that thought.

"If you're expendable, why would I bother with keeping you? Now, choose, Kiba. Which will you save and which will you condemn to death?"

They never got to answer as violent shock waves tore through Darcia's airship. Pieces of the walls and ceiling began to crumble on top of them as the sounds of explosions reached their ears.

"Lord Darcia, Lord Jagura is attacking again." A disembodied voice filled the room right before the alarms went off, nearly deafening them all.

In the confusion of the chaos surrounding them, Darcia released his grip on Cheza and lowered the gun from Kagome's head. Kiba and Tsume both waited for Darcia's guard to slip even more. As Hige ushered Toboe and Rin out of the collapsing airship hopefully in time for them to get out uninjured, Kiba and Tsume took their chance when Darcia turned to look back at the body of Harmonia.


	8. Dreams Always End

**Disclaimer:** I claim no ownership of _Sengoku Otogizoushi - InuYasha_ nor _Wolf's Rain_. _Inuyasha_ belongs to Takahashi Rumiko, Shogakukan, Viz Media, ShoPro Entertainment, and Shounen; while _Wolf's Rain_ belongs to Nobumoto Keiko. No profit of any kind is made from this fan-created crossover.**  
**

* * *

**Author:**_** Yume Mori  
**_**_Dreams Always End  
_**

* * *

Rin closed her eyes as soon as she opened them. The sun was far too bright for her tastes. She did not even know that the sun could shine inside of an airship. Then again, she was not too familiar with everything about the modern era and all the strange technology that came with it. That was one of the few reasons she enjoyed traveling with Toboe, Kiba, Tsume and Kagome.

It was almost like old times. Kagome was Kagome. Kiba could pass for Inuyasha. Tsume represented everything about her Sesshoumaru-sama. Hige was a strange mix between Sango and Miroku. Her Shippou lived on in Toboe. And she was simply Rin.

Once again, she was traversing across Japan. Only this time there was no Jewel to put together, no bloody battles to save the future, or so she hoped. There was no Shippou, no Sango, no Miroku, no Kohaku, no Sesshoumaru or Inuyasha, no Kagura, no Naraku.

She did not even know if she could say the same Rin and Kagome were on this adventure. Time had changed them, and the closer they got to Paradise, the less she thought of Shippou and the past. Could she say she was finally coming to terms with the past?

Kagome... Kagome... What was she was not remembering about Kagome?

Cruel blue eyes and a gun pressed against Kagome's head flashed through her mind's eye. Rin sat up with a startled gasp as the last time she saw Kagome flashed through her mind.

She did not know what had happened to Kagome, she had been too busy trying to escape the collapsing airship with Toboe and Hige. Fear and anxiety began to course through her veins, as she could not even remember making it out of the airship before it collapsed. Was she dead? Where was she? Where was everyone else?

"Oh good! You're finally awake!" Toboe's cheerful voice startled her even more.

Rin ran up to him and gripped his arms. "What happened? Where's Kagome? Did we make it out all right? Where are we?"

Toboe smiled and pulled her into a hug when her grip loosened. It was enough to shock Rin into calming down. "It's all right," he said, "I don't really know what happened either, but we did manage to escape. Hige, Tsume and Cheza are with us and even found a village for us to stay in for a little while. Sadly, o-nee-san and Kiba are still missing."

She buried her face into his shoulder, trying to keep from crying. "How long have I been sleeping?"

"Not long, only a few days," Toboe said. "Come on, let's head to the village! There's food and everyone's so nice! Hige and Tsume should be back, too."

She blushed as he grabbed her hand and led her into the village. Should she say something to him about it? Looking at how happy and oblivious he was, she decided not to say anything. He probably did not realize the significance of holding hands in the culture she had been raised in.

For the first time since leaving Tokyo and the Higurashi Shrine behind, Rin found herself feeling welcomed and as if she belonged. It was...nice. It felt like one of Kagome's smiles, full of acceptance, trust, love and loyalty. She would not mind giving up Paradise in order to live here with Kagome... and Toboe, and the others.

A place such as this was Paradise to her.

"This one is glad to see you are all right, Rin," Cheza said.

Rin smiled at the Flower Maiden, along with Tsume and Hige. Her smile faded, though, upon not seeing Kagome or Kiba among them. It was not the same without both of them around.

Toboe was also saddened by the lack of Kagome and Kiba's presence. He had been hoping that they would have finally found their missing friends and be able to continue. The pack was not the same without their leader and his day was not as bright without his older sister. "Still no sign of Kagome or Kiba?"

Hige sighed and shook his head. "Nope, nothing. If we don't find 'em soon, we'll have to continue on without them."

"What? Why?" Rin asked.

"The humans are on the move, killing each other. They're getting closer and closer to this village," Tsume said, as he continued to look out the window. "If we stay here, we'll end up dying if we don't leave tonight."

"No!" Rin and Toboe shouted together.

"I'm not leaving without Kagome!" Indignation colored Rin's tone.

It was heard in Toboe's voice as well. "I'd rather stay here until we find Kagome because this is Paradise enough for me!"

"Please calm down, Toboe. Rin." Cheza's voice was soft.

Both younger wolves calmed down somewhat and glared at Tsume. "I don't even know why you're making decisions. You're not Kiba and you're not our leader!"

Hige shook his head as Rin and Toboe stormed out of the hut. "Kids. Always so angry," Hige said in an attempt to lighten the mood. "Anyway, perhaps they have a point. Let's stay here overnight and if we still can't find any sign of Kiba and Kagome, then we should continue on."

Tsume appeared to have not heard Hige's comment even though he did. His mind was focused on the promise he made to Kagome before she had been separated from them. Did that worthless girl somehow know what was going to happen? Damn her and making him promise.

"Whatever."

Someone had to watch after the runt, after all.

* * *

It had been years since Kiba had last seen a field full of lunar flowers. He believed they had all disappeared from the Earth as soon as it began dying. Yet here was not only a field, but hills full of those beloved lunar flowers.

Was this the Paradise he had been seeking? Had he finally reached it?

If he had, then where was Kagome? Hige? Tsume? Rin and Toboe? Cheza? Where was everyone? Had he been separated from them all?

He caught a familiar scent on the air, hidden beneath the overwhelming scent of lunar flowers and nature. It reminded him of rainy woods and time. _Kagome._

Without a second thought, his human illusion faded away as he began to follow her scent. He needed to know he had succeeded in rescuing her from Darcia's clutches and that they had both made it to this Paradise together. Kiba did not know what he would do if it was not her.

Through forests and fields, over mountains and hills he ran. His desire to see her was that strong. And she was all that was on his mind. What would Paradise mean if he could not share it with her?

Her scent surrounded him as he came across another field of lunar flowers and a crystalline lake. A soft tinkling sound greeted his ears as she sat up. Amongst the white flowers and azure sky, her black hair was a beautiful contrast.

As beautiful as the smile he saw on her face. "Kiba."

"Kagome," he said, his human illusion back in place.

She stood up as he walked closer to her and he was surprised to see her wearing billowing clothes of white and red, and a pink jewel hanging from her neck. None of it suited her. It made her look older, more somber, as if she was a woman weighted down by responsibility.

However, her eyes showed none of it. They held only happiness and relief. As if needing to know that she was real and that he had managed to save her from Darcia's clutches, he pulled her to him in a tight hug. "You're really here."

Kiba felt her smile into his neck. "Of course I am, silly. And I want to thank you for coming after me, and trying to save me from Darcia."

He pulled away from her, confusion evident in his blue eyes. "What do you mean, 'trying to save you?' Didn't I?"

Kagome's smile turned sad as she cupped his cheek. "No. While we may be together here, in our minds, I can tell we're far apart in reality. I can feel Darcia's aura not far from my body, but I don't mind... I'm just glad you came at all and that we are sharing this time together."

"What do you mean 'in our minds'?" Kiba asked, "This isn't Paradise?"

"No," Kagome said. "This is only a false Paradise, a dream. With how close we keep on getting to Paradise, I cannot escape opening the way to it on the nights of the full moon, and dragging people into my dreams of a false one... I'm sorry, but if this was real, I wouldn't be alive."

He pulled her back into a hug, this one tighter than before. He was unsettled by her talk of death and the proximity of Paradise. Kiba had forgotten that she would die upon reaching Paradise because it was something he did not want to think about.

Kiba never wanted Kagome to die.

"We'll stay here forever then, Kagome."

She sighed against his neck; her warm breath causing pleasurable tingles to go through his body. "We both know we can't do that."

He pulled back enough to look her straight in her eyes. "Says who?"

Once again, her hand rested against his cheek before brushing his dark hair out of his face. "You," she replied. "And me. I promised myself I would get you all to Paradise when I left Tokyo, and I intend to. There's no way I could live with myself if I didn't try to keep you from dying with this world."

"Kagome," he drawled. "I'm sure the others will agree with me when I say Paradise would have no meaning if you weren't there with us."

She smiled. "I'm sure that's not true. Even Rin and Toboe would be able to move on."

"Kagome-"

Kiba never got to finish what he was saying as Kagome placed her lips on top of his. The feeling of her soft lips moving against his caused all of his thoughts to flee as he focused instead on returning her kiss.

She pulled away when she could no longer feel the warmth of his lips beneath her own. Even Kiba was surprised at the abrupt loss of warmth and friction. Kagome took a step back from him, seeing his body begin to fade.

"Dreams always end, it seems." She was blinking back tears as she said that. "I'll be waiting for you close to Paradise, Kiba. Find me."

Her words were becoming harder to hear as he faded from her false Paradise more. "I'll find you! And I'll find a way for you to live in Paradise, too. Kagome!"

"Kagome!" Kiba shouted like a bolt from the blue as he woke up. The suddenness with which he sat up and shouted startled everyone.

They had only happened to come across him as they headed off towards where the villagers told them Darcia's airship had crashed. While they didn't entirely want to head off, they had a feeling that if they found Darcia, then they would find Kagome and Kiba. So far, that feeling was turning out to be correct.

Tsume smirked and turned away from their leader. "Well, at least we know where his mind has been at."

Rin and Toboe laughed together as Hige gave off a perverted smirk. "Can't blame a guy for thinking about Kagome! Man, now that's a woman..."

"I don't want to hear your thoughts on my o-nee-san!" Toboe yelled at the older wolf. Everyone else watched with thinly veiled amusement.

Even though they were still missing Kagome, they did have their pack leader back. Throughout their journey and the time they spent with each other, they learned to savor everything, no matter how small, that was worth savoring. Life had a way of twisting and turning and bringing down more bad things on them.

Kiba chuckled and shook his head, knowing that Hige was only kidding. Just like Toboe, he was always trying to lighten the mood. Focusing more on the serious matters, Kiba asked, "Is Kagome with you?"

Rin shook her head. "No. We haven't seen her since you tried rescuing her."

"The people who found us," Tsume interjected, "said they spotted Darcia's crashed ship further west, near the mountains. Since we've found you, it's safe to assume we're heading in the right direction."

"West," Kiba said to himself, "the direction Paradise lies in... Kagome is there waiting."

"How d'you know that?" Hige asked.

"That one brought you into her dreams, did she not?" Cheza's statement came out sounding like a question.

Kiba nodded. "Yes. We should head there before Darcia gets any closer to Paradise if we want Kagome to live."

* * *

As night fell and a red moon appeared in the sky, they found themselves near the foot of the mountains and no sign of the wreckage of Darcia's ship. There was no sign of Kagome or Darcia either, and that worried them more than anything did. Had Darcia already taken Kagome close enough to the entrance of Paradise for her to die?

Rin, Toboe and Kiba refused to believe it. To believe it would mean that they failed. And it would mean that Kiba broke his promise, which was something he never wanted to do. He wanted to spend his life in Paradise by her side if just to see her smile every day.

However as they got closer and closer to the foot of the mountains, the coldness and snow began to fall heavily around them. Vicious winds tore at them and flung the white flurries into their eyes. It was becoming harder to see even with their enhanced canine sight. Toboe grabbed Rin's hand to keep her close by, while Tsume carried Cheza and followed close behind Kiba and Hige.

It was not long before they could not see the black of Tsume's clothes or the yellow of Hige's. Rin could barely see Toboe's hand, and if it was not for the fact that she could feel his still warm hand, she would have thought herself completely lost.

"Toboe!" Rin tried to shout above the force of the winds, but found her words pushed back into her ears.

She felt Toboe grip her hand tighter before trying to run forward. Could he see something that she could not? What was up ahead that Toboe desperately wanted to get to? Even though the storm was starting to calm down, the winds were still too much for her and she found her hand slipping from his. A second later, she lost the contact she had with Toboe and had no clue as to where he went.

"Toboe!" Rin screamed as loud as she could, hoping to be heard above the howling wind. She did not want to be alone, not again.

For Toboe, the bangles he always wore allowed him to see clearly through the storm. While he could not see Kiba or the others, he could see Kagome clearly ahead of him. If her power in the bangles were allowing him to see only her, then something had to be terribly wrong. As Darcia appeared before her, he understood immediately what was wrong before he heard his words.

"To think all this time you were hiding such an artifact inside you," Darcia said as he held a small pink bauble. "This is exactly what I need to open up the true Paradise."

"You'll never get it. The Shikon no Tama is cursed."

Darcia chuckled. "We'll see." Toboe ran faster as he watched the twisted Noble swallow the now black jewel.

As he got closer to where Darcia and Kagome were, Toboe never noticed as the storm began to subside, allowing him to run faster.

"You're no longer of any use, Guardian." Darcia pulled out his gun and pointed it at Kagome. "You no longer have your jewel, and Paradise is only moments away. Too bad you'll never get to die on its soil."

_No!_ He would not allow that. Kagome was not going to die in front of him, even if he had to die to make it true.


	9. Paradise?

**Disclaimer:** I claim no ownership of _Sengoku Otogizoushi - InuYasha_ nor _Wolf's Rain_. _Inuyasha_ belongs to Takahashi Rumiko, Shogakukan, Viz Media, ShoPro Entertainment, and Shounen; while _Wolf's Rain_ belongs to Nobumoto Keiko. No profit of any kind is made from this fan-created crossover.**  
**

* * *

**Author:**_** Yume Mori  
**_**_Paradise?  
_**

* * *

The sound of the gunshot echoed painfully in the now-still air surrounding Kagome. Even the calmness of the air held a surreal quality making it all seem as if it had been a dream. A dream turned horrifying nightmare with the event that replayed again and again in her mind.

"Foolish pup." Darcia sneered as he once again pointed his gun at Kagome.

She could not find it in her to care anymore, though she blamed part of it on her head wound. Her attention was focused on the still body of Toboe that laid between Darcia and her. Her fisted knuckles turned white as the snow beneath her beautiful little Toboe that was rapidly being tainted with the crimson of his blood.

"Toboe," Kagome whispered, as she leaned forward, trying to get closer to the young wolf who became like her brother.

"You'll be joining him soon, lost Guardian."

Kagome flinched as she heard the sound of a gun-shot go off, fully expecting it to strike her this time. Luck could only last for so long, and it would only be a matter of time before it ran out for her. Yet it was still on her side, as she heard the sound of vicious snarling and bones cracking.

Her gaze left Toboe and turned to the Noble who had taken her precious wolf from her. Rin, in her wolf form, was hanging from Darcia's arm, her fangs buried deep within the flesh of his arm. She had never seen Rin pushed to such an extreme before, not even when Shippou had died.

"Bastard." She could barely make out what Rin had said, her mouth muffled by flesh and cloth, and filled with his tainted blood.

Rin bit down harder, and Darcia only chuckled. "I can no longer feel pain," he said. "The power of that jewel now flows through my veins. You cannot hurt me."

"Rin," Kagome whispered, horror lacing her words as she watched Darcia remove Rin from his arm. With his hand holding her up by the scruff of her neck, he tossed her away from him.

Every time Rin's body made contact with the unforgiving ground, Kagome flinched. She did not want to think of how much that had to be hurting her. Perhaps it would have been better for her to leave Rin in the past, and then she would not have had to live through this painful era.

With blood flowing from his arm, he once again pointed his gun at Kagome. This time no interruptions would keep him from killing her. "Now," he said, catching her attention.

She stared into the barrel of his gun, pain visible in her eyes despite the blood caking around them, and once again accepting of her death. It was how this story would always end for her. She only wished that she had told Kiba how she felt instead of wasting moments being jealous.

"You die."

Kagome heard the gun shot, but felt nothing. There had been no feeling of the bullet entering or exiting her body, no pain, no nothing. Just numbness. Only when she felt a warm trickle of water flow down her chest did she look down to see her blood leaving her. It flowed down her chest, staining her clothes as the first drop splattered on the ground.

She glanced up again, only to find that the man who shot her had already left. He had most likely gone further ahead, getting as close to Paradise as he could to wait for Kiba and the others to arrive. Now that Darcia had the Shikon no Tama, she could only hope that they could make it to Paradise. Kagome had done her best to get them there, and now they were only steps away. The only good thing was that he did not have Cheza; even with the Shikon, he could not open Paradise without her.

A small painful smile appeared on her face as she felt her body land in the cold snow. Dying was an altogether strange experience. It hurt, but it did not hurt. The only pain she felt was an emotional one. Toboe was dead, and Rin, most likely, was as well. She hoped that in Paradise, Rin and Toboe could live again, and have another chance.

"O-nee-san." She gasped at hearing Toboe's soft voice.

Despite his wound and how much blood he had lost, he stood up and faced her. Tears came to her eyes as she saw him flicker back and forth between his human form and his wolf form unable to hold either. "O-nee-san," he softly said again, as he shakily walked towards her. "I, I'm sorry."

"Toboe," she whispered her voice thick with emotion and pain. "There's nothing to be sorry over."

"I promised myself...that I would look after you. I didn't want to lose you... You're my o-nee-san, I wanted you...to be safe, and always with me. I wanted you to stay forever with me and Rin...and Tsume, Kiba... And Hige. I wanted us all to go to Paradise together."

He collapsed next to her, his canine head resting against her arm. A trail of blood was all that Toboe left behind in his small trek to reach the woman he considered his older sister. Tears fell down the side of her face as their blood mixed together on the once pristine snow.

"Oh, Toboe," Kagome said, "I told you before we all headed off together. I was never going to be in Paradise with everyone. It's not meant for me. I wanted you to go there and be able to have Rin to watch over and take care of. Tsume was going to watch over you. Toboe... I would have always been in your heart."

"O-nee-san... I just wanted to be with you...and Rin. O-nee-san."

Kagome, with great effort, brought her other arm around Toboe, pulling his dying body closer to her. She moved her hand to rest on his head and began to lovingly pet him as she did so long ago before they started this journey. "You'll always be with me, Toboe," Kagome whispered as his eyes began to close.

In his mind, she knew that Toboe had to have been transported to the false Paradise. He was too close to her and too close to death, just as she was from both the bullet wound and her head trauma from the crash. She continued to pet him and hoped that wherever he was in his mind, he was happy. And that if she was there, that she was by his side petting him just like that.

His eyes closed, and she could see a smile on his canine face.

"Toboe." Kagome's voice cracked with emotion as she could feel the life disappear from him. She watched as his beautiful golden eyes closed as he died with a smile on his face. Her bottom lip quivered as more tears gathered in her eyes and fell to the snow beneath her. "Toboe..."

* * *

Ignoring the painful ache in her body, Rin forced herself awake and out of the darkness that surrounded her. All she could remember was seeing Toboe take the bullet meant for Kagome, and then looking into that bastard's eyes as she broke his arm. Only it did not work. He now had the Shikon no Tama; it would take nothing less than a miracle to kill him.

But what had happened to Toboe and Kagome?

Clutching her head as she moaned in pain, she looked around. Kiba and the others had finally arrived and they were gathered around something. She stood up and made her way over to them with unsteady steps. A horrified gasp tore out of her throat as she saw the body of Toboe lying motionless on the ground.

Rin ran over to Toboe and buried her face in his fur, not liking how cold he was. It was all so familiar to her. "Toboe." Her voice was muffled by his cold golden fur that only moved from the wind.

"Rin-chan," Kagome's soft voice had her looking up and towards Kiba.

Kagome did not look too well either; her skin was far paler than normal and her voice too soft. Dark blood stained the front of her clothes, both hers and Toboe's. "Rin-chan," she said again, "It's all right. You'll see him again in Paradise."

"Kagome-chan," Rin choked out, "don't leave me too!"

Yet she only smiled softly. "As I said to Toboe... I'll always be in your heart..."

Kiba cupped her cheek as she closed her eyes, trying to keep her awake for a moment more. "Kagome," he whispered, "I'm sorry I didn't find you soon enough."

"Silly." She tried to laugh, but it came out as only a wheezing whisper. "We both knew this was how it was going to end... You're so close to Paradise, continue. So Darcia doesn't open it up..."

As she did in the dream they shared not too long ago, she brought her hand up to cup his cheek. Her fingers lightly brushing his dark, shaggy hair out of his eyes. "Kiba." Her voice was even softer as her eyes dulled.

He leaned in closer to hear her whisper, as did the rest of them. Only, her strength left her for the last time before she could say what she wanted to. There was no way for any of them to know what she had intended to say before she died. Only that she had meant to say something.

His grip on her body tightened, unwilling to believe that she had truly died. While they knew she had said this would happen, they did not expect it to be in such a way. Nor did they expect for Toboe to die as well. The end of their journey was not turning out the way they had planned.

A tear fell from Cheza's eyes as she stroked Toboe one last time, hoping he had found peace in his death. It pained her to see one of the wolves that she had grown to know had died. Even Tsume could barely keep his emotions in check: Toboe had been the one to get him on this crazy adventure. Hige did what he could and pulled Rin into a comforting hug. She had lost two people she cared about most and most likely her reason for continuing on.

Kiba's mournful howl tore through the silent night air, reflecting all the pain and sorrow they felt. Rin and Hige were the next to join in; their pain and sorrow ran as deep as Kiba's. Tsume was the last to join in, being the most private in his feelings. He had made a promise to Kagome to watch after the runts if something happened to her, and he could barely even do that.

As their howls were carried away by the night winds, they shared a common sorrow. Kiba gently laid Kagome back down, placing her once again by the side of Toboe. While he wanted nothing more than to stay with Kagome and die in this world with her, he knew she would never forgive him. She worked so hard to get them as close to Paradise as she could take them, wanting them all to have a chance at life in a new world. One free of the injustices of the world that was now dying, one where lunar flowers still lived.

"What are you going to do now?" Tsume looked behind him to Kiba. Yet Kiba only turned to look at Rin.

"Rin." He waited until her watery eyes were focused on him. "Do you think you can make it through the mountains?"

She shook her head. "No... I think I may have a concussion."

"You mean to continue, don't you?" Hige asked.

Kiba nodded. "Yes. It's what they would have wanted... Kagome would never forgive us if we quit here."

"Perhaps we'll all meet again in Paradise? And be able to stay together there with Kagome and Toboe?" Rin asked.

"We'll have to see," Kiba replied, "and the only way to do that is to continue on."

Hige appeared thoughtful for a moment before nodding his head. "It won't hurt to see how far we can get... I'll carry you, Rin, so you can come with us as well."

"Go on ahead." Tsume's words startled them all. Was he saying he was not going with them? "I'll catch up to you later. I have a few words to say to the runt."

After a moment, Kiba nodded his head. "All right, we'll be waiting up ahead for you."

Tsume waited until they had gone ahead far enough for him to barely see them before turning to Toboe and Kagome. He knelt down beside the body of Toboe and lightly stroked his fur. "Look at how big you've gotten."

He smirked as images of their first meeting went through his mind. "I remember thinking how much of a scrawny mutt you were. But you've really grown up from the crybaby you used to be."

Toboe's voice echoed in his mind. _"Aw, come on, Tsume!"; "Let's all go to Paradise together!"; "I won't give up, and I won't whine anymore!"_

"I know, runt." Tsume's voice began to crack. "I know... We'll all be waiting for you in Paradise."

He stood up to go, not one to linger over sappy goodbyes. Yet he turned his attention to Kagome's body, the woman he disliked if only because of how much the runt looked up to her. She had done her job and brought them to Paradise. In his eyes, that made her worthy of respect.

"Kagome, looks like my promise wasn't necessary... Instead, take care of him for me."

* * *

"Am I too heavy for you?" Rin asked when she heard Hige's heavy breathing.

"No," Hige said, as he tried to keep from panting from exertion. "Hey Kiba, is it just me or is the air getting thinner up here?"

"It is getting thinner," Kiba agreed. "We're getting pretty high up... Is the entrance to Paradise close Cheza?"

"This one feels that it is just up ahead."

Rin smiled and tightened her grip on Hige's shoulders. "Just a little further, and you'll be able to put me down."

Hige never got to reply as a sudden weight crashed into him, ripping into his side and throat before tossing him into the side of the mountain they were climbing up. He barely heard Rin's screams of pain as his mind was too focused on his own pain and the blood pouring from the side of his neck.

"Hige! Rin!" Kiba shouted as he turned around to see what happened.

A giant black wolf with one gold eye and one blue eye stood over their bodies. "Hand over Cheza." The wolf spoke with Darcia's voice.

"I'll never hand over Cheza to you!" Kiba growled as he dropped his human illusion. His hackles raised and teeth bared, he lunged towards Darcia. He would make him pay for killing Kagome and Toboe.

Fur and blood were flying as Kiba and Darcia clashed with their fangs and claws. It would all come down to who could last the longest. Darcia only chuckled when the cold and pain finally caught up to Kiba, causing him to stumble and limp as he walked. In the middle of his evil cackle, Darcia hacked up a small black jewel.

"If only you would have left your pack behind, you would have already opened up Paradise. Now you're in a fight you won't win because that jewel has given me the power and strength to endure any pain and unlock the form all humans once had. Only a wolf can open up the true Paradise."

The black Shikon no Tama that Darcia coughed up rolled over to Rin's body. The blood that had poured out of her body caused it to stop before it could touch her. Her fading eyesight was drawn to the now pink glow the jewel gave off. That idiot of a Noble had given up the only thing that would have saved him, believing himself to now be invincible.

She reached forward and grasped the jewel, bringing it closer to her body even though it seemed to take forever.

**What is your wish?**

'My wish,' Rin thought, her words sounding faint even in her mind. Her vision was rapidly darkening before her and it was hard for her to grasp coherent thoughts. So much pain and death surrounded her causing her to slip further and further into the peaceful darkness of death. The same peace that enveloped Kagome and Toboe, and most likely the rest of her pack. The battle between Kiba and Darcia did not seem to be going well as screams of pain from Tsume, Cheza and Kiba broke the stillness of the mountain night.

"My wish... I wish..."

No more words fell from her mouth as death took her. The Shikon no Tama glittered in her hand.

**Your wish has been granted.**


	10. Wolves That Learned Something

**Disclaimer:** I claim no ownership of _Sengoku Otogizoushi - InuYasha_ nor _Wolf's Rain_. _Inuyasha_ belongs to Takahashi Rumiko, Shogakukan, Viz Media, ShoPro Entertainment, and Shounen; while _Wolf's Rain_ belongs to Nobumoto Keiko. No profit of any kind is made from this fan-created crossover.**  
**

* * *

**Author:**_** Yume Mori  
**_**_Wolves That Learned Something  
_**

* * *

Snow fell softly and silently across Tokyo. Nature enveloped the synthetic city, turning the grey and black of its buildings white. Few people were out braving the winter cold as many had already retreated to karaoke bars, or just bars, or they were home wrapped up with their loved ones. Those who were out enjoying the snowfall barely minded the cold.

One of them was a young woman with short brown hair. She kept a section of it tied in a ponytail on the side of her head, something she once did when she was younger and traveling around Feudal Japan with her Sesshoumaru-sama. Yet those days were long gone now. All she had left was Kagome and a chance to start over in the 'modern' era. It broke her heart to know that everyone else had died, however she was glad she still had one person left.

Rin glanced up at the sky, catching snowflakes on her eyelashes as she thought, 'Has it really been almost a year already? A year since we finished the Shikon no Tama and removed it from the world along with Naraku?' She shook her head softly before continuing on her way; she knew better than most how quickly time could fly.

She found herself at the street-side vendor far too quickly for her tastes, but she smiled brightly as she approached the old woman. "Good evening, Mikoto-san!"

"Ah, how good to see you, Rin-chan," the elderly woman greeted her. "I have your order right here, just give me a moment to get it."

Rin nodded as she dug through her pockets for Mikoto's medicine. It was their weekly trade-off. Rin would deliver her her medicine from Kagome, and she would repay them with a bag or two worth of groceries. The kind old woman only called it "an order" in case other customers were listening in.

As Mikoto handed over her payment, Rin discreetly gave her the smaller package holding her medicine. "Thank you, Mikoto-san!"

"Please give Kagome-sama my deepest sympathies for her losses," the older woman called after her.

"I'll be sure to. And remember to take the medicine she gave you!"

She headed back the way she came with a lighter bounce in her step. It was hard trying to get by in the times they found themselves in with hardly any money and no family other than each other. It had been a freak accident that had taken Kagome's family from the world, something called a 'car accident.'

A familiar sight on the other side of the street had her pausing in her thoughts and steps. A forgotten memory tugged at the back of her mind as she stared at the four men walking down the street. They all seemed so familiar to her, and she could swear their names were on the tip of their tongue. Yet she could not remember how she knew them.

All that came to mind was a night as cold as the one that surrounded them, with a red moon. Sadness, death and blood staining the night air, as they tried to get to some place... Some place... What place? Then a voice whispering in the back of her mind about a wish...

**Your wish has been granted.**

Her eyes widened with shock as memories came crashing back down on her. Memories of a journey towards Paradise with those four men and Kagome, nearly falling in love with Toboe, they all filled her mind as she remembered. She had made a wish for them all to be able to start over in the Paradise she knew Kiba would open. Yet, did they remember?

Clutching her bag of groceries tighter, she pushed down her feelings of anxiety and elation, and ran across the street after them. "Toboe!"

The four of them stopped, confusion causing them to pause in their trek back home and in their conversation. Rin shifted from foot-to-foot self-consciously as they all stared at her in varying degrees of confusion and familiarity. It seemed they were having the same problem she did moments ago.

Hige asked, "Do you know her, Toboe?"

The young boy, hardly any older than her, shook his head. "No. But she does seem familiar somehow... Have we met before?"

Rin nodded her head. "Yes... I don't even know how to explain how we know each other because it's so completely unbelievable... But," she paused and chewed on her lower lip, trying to find a way to say what she wanted to. "Do... Does the name Kagome sound familiar?"

Tsume's, Hige's and Toboe's eyes filled with unfamiliarity and familiarity. They had heard the name somewhere, but they had no memories of ever hearing it. However, Kiba nodded his head. That name along with deep blue eyes haunted his dreams at night.

"Who is she?" he asked.

She smiled softly. "You know, this is so similar to how we all first met. Only it was Toboe demanding I take him to Kagome, instead of you asking who she is, Kiba... If you guys wouldn't mind, come with me to Higurashi Shrine. I'm sure you'll remember then!"

* * *

Kagome sighed heavily and rubbed her eyes. It had been such a long day, and she was no closer to figuring out why a strange, yet familiar book found its way into her hands. She was actually surprised her grandfather had not had it: it was obscure enough for his tastes.

"The Book of the Moon," she whispered to herself. She ran her hands lovingly over its cover, having a feeling of déjà vu.

_"No, Kagome. You should know better than anyone how legends have a basis in reality. That book is real and everything in it is as well."_

She shook her head and put the book back down. She knew her grandfather had never said anything of the sort to her nor had she ever seen that book, but at the same she knew it had happened. It was altogether confusing.

The sound of her front door opening had her smiling; Rin was finally back and they could begin the night's meal. However her smile began to fade as she heard four male voices as well. Her worry caused her to get up and head into main part of the house to see what was going on. Those men; their auras felt so familiar.

"Kagome."

She looked at the man who said her name. Her eyes widened in shock as she saw the blue eyes and dark hair that filled her dreams. She thought that he was simply a figment of her imagination along with the journey she often dreamed of, but he was proving to be real.

"...Kiba?"

He nodded in return. Kiba did not know how he knew her or how she knew him, but it felt so right to be in her presence. She felt like Paradise...

Tsume and Hige's eyes filled with familiarity and memories as they took in the sight of Kagome and the bangles on her arm that matched the ones Toboe always wore. The young boy also noticed them, and reached out to touch them, catching Kagome's attention.

"You're wearing my bangles," his voice was soft as he spoke.

Kagome's brows furrowed together in confusion as she touched his bangles. "These are exactly like the ones that I found... And filled with my hama no reiryoku..."

As her thumb brushed across all three of the bracelets, her hama no reiryoku wrapped around their arms, bringing forth all the memories they had forgotten when Kiba opened up Paradise before he died as well. Memories of their journey towards Paradise resurfaced in all their minds as they remembered who they once were, who they became, and how they all died with the world in order to be reborn into Paradise. The false bangles disappeared from Kagome's wrist, their purpose served.

Toboe's eyes filled with tears. "O-nee-san?"

"Yes," Kagome whispered, her voice thick with emotion before dropping to her knees and embracing Toboe. "Yes, my dear little Toboe!"

Tsume rolled his eyes. "Always such a crybaby."

"Aw, come on, Tsume!" Hige said, "You can't blame him... We all did die, y'kno. And plus, if I knew she'd embrace me like that, I'd start bawling my eyes out too."

Rin sighed and shook her head; it was just like old times between them all. Only this time, it would last so much longer now that they were together in Paradise.

* * *

**Fin.**

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_This fic was originally begun back in late 2003/early 2004, and I was writing it with my cousin. Then life happened and things changed irrevocably so, and it was up to me to finish this fic. Which I did. Many of you who read the original version will notice that nothing really large and earth-shattering has been changed in this edited version. Because I don't have the heart to do that, because this is not entirely my fic, because it feels wrong to make giant changes to this. I am sorry for it, and I hope you have enjoyed it. Thank you all so very much for your reviews, favorites and alerts of this fic: I cannot thank you enough._

_I will let you know that there is no sequel planned for this. I will never write a sequel for this. This is the actual end. However, because I do feel bad that this is lacking in something that I have in my new fics, I am currently working on an IY/WR crossover that will better reflect my current writing abilities. When this will be done, I don't know, but I'm planning for around the end of July._

_Again, thank you all for your reviews and kind words throughout this fic. It's so very appreciated.  
_


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